Sen. Bernie Sanders conceded on Sunday that the reconciliation bill's $3.5 trillion pricetag will likely be lowered to appease the moderate Democratic hold-outs.
'The $3.5 trillion should be a minimum, but I accept that there's gonna have to be give and take,' the progressive from Vermont said on ABC's This Week.
Sanders and other Democratic lawmakers who appeared on the Sunday shows played coy when asked how low they would go as negotiations drag on, with a new deadline of Halloween to get President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the reconciliation bill across the line.
Sen. Bernie Sanders conceded on Sunday that the reconciliation bill's $3.5 trillion pricetag will likely be lowered to appease the moderate Democratic hold-outs
On Thursday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to delay a promised vote on the infrastructure bill, which moderates in the party support, because House progressives planned to tank it - a way they hoped to get moderates to back the $3.5 trillion social spending bill that contains a grab bag of progressive priorities.
The $3.5 trillion bill currently includes climate change provisions, universal pre-K, child care assistance, tuition-free community college, paid medical and family leave, the extension of the child tax credit and enhanced Medicare coverage.
Pelosi's delay sparked fury among moderates including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who called it 'inexcusable,' in a statement Saturday.
Progressives have voiced frustration because Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin - the two moderate hold-outs - haven't specifically defined what they'd support.
On Meet the Press, Sanders swatted back saying, 'I think the people of Arizona are beginning to stand up and show some impatience there and saying, "You know, Senator, join the team here. Let's get something done on reconciliation."'
When Biden visited Capitol Hill Friday, he reportedly told Democrats that the reconciliation bill would be slashed to $2 trillion.
'Well, that's not going to happen,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal said when asked about a $1.5 trillion pricetag for the reconciliation bill
On ABC's This Week, Sanders wouldn't confirm that.
'Well, first of all, I'm not sure that that's accurate, as you know there's a lot of gossip that goes on,' Sanders said, when This Week's host
