Biden heads to Capitol to try pass his economic agenda as Sinema leaves DC

Biden heads to Capitol to try pass his economic agenda as Sinema leaves DC
Biden heads to Capitol to try pass his economic agenda as Sinema leaves DC

President Joe Biden is heading to Capitol Hill on Friday to try and get his multitrillion economic agenda passed as one of the key players, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, has left town.

'The President will travel to the Hill to speak with members of the House Democratic Caucus this afternoon,' the White House announced. 

Biden will try to close the deal amid warring Democrats and salvage his legislative priorities. 

Meanwhile, Sinema has left Washington D.C. for a medical appointment in Phoenix amid negotiatios over President Joe Biden's multitrillion economic agenda, in which she is a key player.   

Her office said she is remaining in touch with the White House as talks continue. 

'Senator Sinema is in Phoenix where she has a medical appointment today, and where she continues remote negotiations with the White House,' her office said in a statement.

'Last night, Kyrsten and our team offered the White House continued discussions and negotiations for this morning. We're awaiting word from the White House for their availability,' the statement added.

Sinema broke her foot in June while running the Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon in Washington state. She is an avid athlete and runner, competing in marathons and ironmans. In the weeks after she was spotted in the Capitol hobbling on crutches and wearing a boot.  

The Senate is not expecte to vote again until Monday but Sinema is fleeing town as  Democrats were unable to come to to a deal on Biden's $3.5 trillion social agenda package, which includes paid family leave, universal prekindergarten, free tuition at community college, Medicare expansion and strong measures to combat climate change.

House Democrats met Friday morning but no progress was made. They will meet again in the afternoon, when they will hear from the president. 

President Joe Biden is heading to Capitol Hill on Friday to try and get his multitrillion economic agenda passed

President Joe Biden is heading to Capitol Hill on Friday to try and get his multitrillion economic agenda passed

Senator Kyrsten Sinema has left Washington D.C. for a medical appointment in Phoenix amid negotiations

Senator Kyrsten Sinema has left Washington D.C. for a medical appointment in Phoenix amid negotiations

Senator Sinema broke her foot in June running a marathon

Senator Sinema broke her foot in June running a marathon

Sinema, along with moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, is one of the hold ups. She wants a lower figure than the $3.5 trillion topline number.  Sinema was seen leaving the Capitol late Thursday night after being holed up in talks all day.

The key players - Democratic leadership, White House aides, moderates and liberals - huddled in the basement of the Capitol building late into Thursday night before throwing in the towel shortly before 11 pm, calling off the House's vote on Biden's infrastructure plan and vowing to continue the talks on Friday.  

The move was a victory for the progressive wing of the party, which held firm to their threat to tank Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure plan if the moderate faction does not also back his $3.5 trillion social spending bill. 

And it was a blow to Biden, who prides himself on his reputation as a dealmaker and his deep ties to Capitol Hill. 

It leaves his domestic agenda hanging in the balance as the president works frantically to salvage the situation. 

Lights were on in the West Wing of the White House late into the night and a Marine guard stood at the front door, a sign Biden remained in the Oval Office, working the phone lines.

Officials will try again on Friday. 

'There'll be a vote today,' a weary-looking Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters as she left the Capitol at 12.01am on Friday. 'We're not trillions apart.' 

However, it remained unclear what progress -- if any -- had been made between the warring factions, and Pelosi has already twice delayed the vote after first promising it on Monday, and then on Thursday, angering moderates with the delays.

Leadership and White House officials spent Thursday evening targeting Manchin and Sinema. They hoped to convince the two to agree to a $2.1 trillion topline number, Politico reported, but the senators did not sign on.

'We're in good-faith negotiations, we'll continue in good-faith negotiations,' Manchin told the reporters who swarmed him as he left the Capitol.  

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to delay a vote planned for Thursday on the bipartisan bill to rebuild roads and bridges amid a progressive revolt, but vowed to bring the measure to the floor on Friday

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to delay a vote planned for Thursday on the bipartisan bill to rebuild roads and bridges amid a progressive revolt, but vowed to bring the measure to the floor on Friday

Senator Joe Manchin, one of the key players, said negotiations would continue on Friday as he left the Capitol building late Thursday night

Senator Joe Manchin, one of the key players, said negotiations would continue on Friday as he left the Capitol building late Thursday night

At the White House, a Marine guard was on duty late outside the West Wing, a sign President Joe Biden was in the Oval Office, working the phones

At the White House, a Marine guard was on duty late outside the West Wing, a sign President Joe Biden was in the Oval Office, working the phones

Manchin has said he wants the budget package to come in at $1.5 trillion - a number he is sticking to. 

House progressives, who are holding enough votes to spike any legislation, have vowed to vote against the infrastructure bill unless the Senate passes the $3.5 trillion number.

Pelosi tried to use the pressure of Thursday's vote deadline to get a deal done but her manuever failed. She did get all sides to the table and talking but it's unclear if there was any movement.

The progressive wing of the party, meanwhile, has dug in their heels, now saying they want a Senate vote on the $3.5 trillion package before they'll support the infrastructure bill.  

Measure to prevent government shutdown passes hours before deadline 

Congress earlier on Thursday wrestled Washington back from the brink of a government shutdown by voting to continue funding the government through December 3. 

Biden signed the measure before funding was to run out at midnight.

'There´s so much more to do. But the passage of this bill reminds us that bipartisan work is possible and it gives us time to pass longer-term funding to keep our government running and delivering for the American people,' Biden said in a statement.

The House approved the measure in a bipartisan 254-175 vote, hours after it passed the Senate by 65-35.

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Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, a leader of House progressives, told reporters: 'Nothing has changed with our caucus members. We don't have the votes to pass infrastructure.'

Progressives originally wanted a $6 trillion package. Rep. Cori Bush argued the $3.5 trillion 'was the compromise.' 

The impasse resulted in Biden's own party digging in to halt almost his entire domestic policy agenda.   

Officials insisted that progress had been made, and the White House vowed to bring the warring groups back to the table first thing on Friday.

'A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever,' said Press Secretary Jen Psaki. 

'But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.' 

The bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has already passed the Senate, now needs only to pass the Democrat-controlled House before it heads to Biden's desk. 

The broader spending package is now in a budgetary process called reconciliation, which requires every Democrat in the evenly divided Senate to vote yes in order to pass without Republican support.

Throughout the day on Thursday, Democratic holdouts Manchin and Sinema were huddled in close talks with White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, and other White House officials. 

After sundown, Pelosi issued a letter to Democratic colleagues saying that it had been 'a very productive and crucial day.'

'It has been a day of progress in fulfilling the President's vision to Build Back Better,' she wrote, referencing the slogan for Biden's domestic agenda. 

'All of this momentum brings us closer to shaping the reconciliation bill in a manner that will pass the House and Senate,' Pelosi added. 

But as the hours stretched on, it became clear no deal was apparent. 

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema leaves a private meeting with White House officials on Capitol Hill Thursday, but appeared to reach no deal

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema leaves a private meeting with White House officials on Capitol Hill Thursday, but appeared to reach no deal

Reporters sit in the hallway outside of a closed-door meeting with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and White House officials in the basement of the Capitol

Reporters sit in the hallway outside of a closed-door meeting with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and White House officials in the basement of the Capitol

The setback for Biden's agenda came despite a moment of victory earlier in the day as Republicans and Democrats agreed to keep funding the federal government through December 3. 

But instead of inviting reporters into the Oval Office to

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