Schumer Says Democrats Want Deal This Week on Economic Plan

(Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats want a deal this week on a new framework for passing President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. 

Schumer said Senate Democrats had a “very spirited discussion” about the tax and spending plan, which has divided progressives and moderates in the caucus. 

“The pace has picked up,” Schumer said. “The desire to get this done is universal.”

“You can’t write the whole bill in the next few days,” he said. “But getting a framework done that is agreed upon by 50 senators and 218 House members, which we’re getting closer to, not there yet, and then move both bills together is what we’re going to do.”

Schumer’s comments came after a closed-door lunch of Senate Democrats and on the same day Biden planned separate meetings with moderates and progressives in the hopes of reaching an agreement on an overarching plan as well as passing a separate bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House.

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