WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, scrambling to get Democrats on the same page, met with key lawmakers this week in hopes of finalizing a deal on his massive domestic spending agenda. 

What You Need To Know

  • Pres. Joe Biden held two separate closed-door meetings with moderate and progressive Democrats to negotiate the details of his Build Back Better Budget

  • Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison believes a deal is within reach

  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California is hoping to schedule a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure framework and the Build Back Better Budget before October 31

Tensions between Democrats at odds over Biden’s social spending plan appear to have eased. Centrist Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, a holdout on Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, said meetings have been productive.

“We’re having good conversations – we’re talking, and everybody, and all the players, everybody, they understand each other’s position,” Sen. Manchin told the media on Tuesday. "The talks are very good.”

Biden held separate closed-door meetings with moderate and progressive Democrats. Those in the room with the president this week said a framework is within reach.

“The president is extremely engaged, and trying to get his agenda, the Build Back Better agenda done,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison. “And, yeah, I feel like we're getting closer and closer every day.”

When a deal will come is unclear. Pocan, current Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Emeritus said he’s not concerned that the Halloween deadline set by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California for a deal is drawing near. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, however, hopes Democrats will come to an agreement by that date.

“I think that we have things to turn to as soon as we've passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the Build Back Better Budget,” said Sen. Baldwin. “And that includes appropriations matters and making sure that we lift the debt ceiling.”

While Democrats said talks are going well, Biden’s climate agenda is reportedly one of several key proposals Sen. Joe Manchin wants out of the Build Back Better Budget.

But Rep. Pocan says nothing has been set in stone.

“There's nothing in pen yet,” he said. “So, I'm not going to talk about individual measures other than the generalities, which is that there's an agreement that we should try to do more things for a shorter amount of time, but have a greater benefit that way and make sure things are more immediate. That is true.”

Rep. Pocan wouldn’t confirm details but reportedly, those compromises include limiting an extension of the child tax credit to just one year, scaling back paid family leave to four weeks from 12 and potentially eliminating Biden’s call for tuition-free community college.