Democratic Lawmakers Hope to Agree on Spending Bill Proposals

Sources say Democratic lawmakers are close to making an agreement on two critical components of President Biden’s domestic agenda. Lawmakers have said the two proposals will combine to reach millions of children with free preschool and subsidized child care and make up some of the largest elements of the final package in terms of funding though no overall number has been released. If approved the proposal would set up a federal-state partnership and offer states funds to expand public preschool programs to reach 6 million 3 and 4 year olds not currently enrolled in preschool or where parents are paying tuition.

In recent weeks negotiations on the bill have also been scaled down from the original proposed $3.5 trillion package to between $1.5 and $2 trillion.  Biden has said both publicly and privately that the two elements would stay in the package even as other key components have been debated and scaled back or dropped entirely.