In budget turning point, Biden conceding smaller price tag

By ALAN FRAM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s and congressional Democrats’ push for a 10-year, $3.5 trillion package of social and environmental initiatives has reached a turning point. Biden has been repeatedly conceding that the measure will be much smaller. Democrats say he’s recently discussed a $1.9 trillion to $2.3 trillion price tag. That represents an effort by Biden to push his party beyond months of stalemate and refocus bargainers on nailing down the policy and fiscal decisions that will be needed to succeed. There’s been no agreement on a final figure and plenty of other unanswered questions remain, along with the possibility of failure.