After cramming most of the Biden agenda into one massive $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” bill, it looks like Democrats are going to have to settle for a whole lot less—and possibly nothing. Though equipped with the frailest of congressional majorities, Democrats have opted to take the go-it-alone route rather than try to negotiate a smaller bill with Republicans, betting everything on a reconciliation bill that they hope to squeeze through a 50-50 U.S. Senate on a party-line vote and Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaker.
