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Cori Bush speaks at her campaign event at Scene Event Space on Nov. 12, 2021, in St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS Before she was in Congress, Cori Bush was a registered nurse. And because she was a nurse, in uniform, she says she was the one who was called over Cori! Cori! when a newborn got tossed out of a car at the feet of protesters a few years ago at a march for racial justice in Ferguson, Missouri. Bush says she tucked the baby under her arm like a football and ran behind a building where she checked on it.

Sometimes, you are put in a position where you are in the right place at the right time to save a life. But you can choose to not. Thats a choice. And so thats how I approach every single day, as a choice, Bush says as she recalls the incident. People are hurting every single moment, every single day, and we know this. So its a choice to actually go and do the work.

Bush is only about one year into her first term and is already one of the highest-profile progressives in the House of Representatives. If you saw the 2019 Netflix documentary Knock Down the House, which captured Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs winning campaign against a powerful Democratic incumbent, you also saw Bushs losing 2018 primary challenge in the Midwest. If you heard of the lawmaker who camped out on the Capitol steps over the summer and was widely credited with winning an extension of the eviction moratorium, youve heard of Bush as she is today. Most recently, Bush was one of six House Democrats to vote against the infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed into law on this month, withholding her vote not in objection to the bill, but in objection to the fact that Democrats had moved forward with it before the social programs bill progressives had been promised they would pass alongside it.

Bush is determined not to fit in. Her office describes her as a politivist, someone who is both a politician and an activist, trying to change the system from within. Shes willing to criticize party leaders like Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and ridicule party moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin. Shes not in Congress to move up in leadership, she says, or hoard institutional power.

But what power that leaves her with is uncertain. Progressives in Congress are in a precarious spot, trying to flex over Bidens agenda while getting heat from constituents about symbolic votes and looking down the very real possibility of being a small slice of the House minority after next years elections. The tension between her role in Congress as she sees it and the realities of the institution, her party, and its leadership are palpable.

When I was on the ground protesting, it felt like we were teeing up these balls, and nobody was there to hit the ball out of the park. So now Im like, OK, I know who tees up the balls, so Im not going to push you all away, Bush tells BuzzFeed News. You keep teeing up these balls, and Im in the position to hit them.

Bush eats lunch at Kingz Turkee Shack on Nov. 13, 2021, in St. Louis.

Bush is sitting at a two-person table in Kingz Turkee Shack, a tiny restaurant tucked in a strip mall in her home city of St. Louis. Shes wearing a T-shirt from her freshly announced reelection campaign and sparkly, mid-calf lace-up boots, and shes suggesting that a lot of the Democratic Partys woes are self-inflicted between bites of a meal that includes a tantalizing turkey leg the size of something youd find at a state fair.

If youre not willing to fight for the things that we need, stalling or stifling things because of all of this incrementalism and old ways of thinking, that is what is hurting this party.

Shes diplomatic in the way that she talks about the forces within her party hurting progressives, not that shes unwilling to name names. Earlier this month, she released a scathing statement on West Virginias Manchin, one of the two Democratic senators whove prevented the Build Back Better bill from being the sweeping social spending legislation progressives initially envisioned. She accused him of being anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant. (Asked if hed ever responded to the statement, whether the two lawmakers had had conversations, or what their relationship was like, Manchins office said, we dont have anything to add.) After the Build Back Better legislation passed the House last Friday, she tweeted, Senator Manchin, were looking at you. The people must win. Historically, the approach to winning people over in the halls of Congress has more often been trying to butter up the person you want on your side. Bush has little patience for that.

I dont care about looking like Im leading, or care about being the one that is staying within like, just playing the game.

Bush also presents herself as being in natural conflict with her partys leaders. If Pelosi were to decide to run to lead the Democratic caucus again after next years elections, Bush does not currently have an answer for whether shed support her. A spokesperson for Pelosi told BuzzFeed News in response to questions that "the Speaker is not on a shift, shes on a mission."

I dont wear those same glasses that she wears, Bush says of Pelosi. For me, Im not a woman first, Im Black first. I dont care about party lines the way that she does. I dont care about looking like Im leading, or care about being the one that is staying within like, just playing the game.

The weekend of the House infrastructure vote, Pelosi flew back to San Francisco and officiated the ritzy wedding of Ivy Getty, an heir of the oil fortune. Asked what she made of it, Bush prefaces by saying that she didnt know who those people were until I saw people talking about it, and she ends with saying Pelosi officiating didnt really move me either way.

My purpose is to lift up those that have been marginalized and oppressed and overlooked. And shes in a position of power, and thats more her lane I guess. Thats where her focus is, Bush says. People see things differently than others, and I have learned to not condemn people for the way they see things when they havent gone through the things that Ive gone through. Like I cant change their experiences, the only thing that I can do is expose them to mine, or those of others that they may not know or understand.

Like I cant change their experiences, the only thing that I can do is expose them to mine.

So much of Bushs approach to politics ties back to her identity as a Black woman and as an activist. Issues around racial justice are not nearly prioritized enough in Congress, she says.

Bush recognizes Biden hasnt even been in office for a full year, but she thinks he has a lot of work to do, particularly in that area. Shes candid about how disappointing it was to her that police reform talks collapsed this year. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act was, in her words, not the end-all, be-all, the greatest legislation for police reform that therell ever be, and yet Congress couldn't even get that done.

He has to deliver a substantial win to the Black community as it relates to policing. He has to, because this is not even about just looking good, this is about saving lives, she says. Bush hadnt given thought to whether Biden should run for reelection, but says it would be up to him. Days after Bush's interview, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden intends to run for reelection.

If not him, the question is, who else will run? Bush says with a laugh.

Rep. Cori Bush claps as a volunteer speaks at a reelection campaign event at Urban Art on Nov. 13, 2021, in St. Louis.

Bush stands in front of a crowd in a black sequined blazer giving remarks to a group of her top supporters. Earlier in the day, shed announced that she was running for reelection, and this is the kickoff event. The booze is flowing, her family is in the crowd, and much of St. Louiss political whos who had come by to indicate their support.

When they tell me, You shouldnt say that because you hurt the Democrats. You shouldnt say that because you hurt this thing or that thing. And I say, Well, you shouldve fixed it before I got there then, Bush says to applause. So dont tell me how, what I should do now, because youve been there OK.

She cuts herself off, to the delight of the audience, but the intention of the last part is clear: a while.

She describes the day that the House moved forward with the infrastructure bill, but not a Build Back Better bill, as the absolute worst day shes had in Congress so far. Im Black girl broken, shed texted St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. I was hurting because I couldnt believe I did the right thing that way that I did, she told an audience at the campaign event that Friday night, referring to her no vote. She told staff she wanted to be off social media and away from the news to take care of herself.

Its probably very lonely for her to be someone thats taking such a strong stand for our people, Jones, who was invited to and attended the signing of the infrastructure bill at the White House, tells BuzzFeed News. But shell tell anybody, she didnt go to Congress to play or to be somebody. She went to Congress to do something.

But that can be difficult to square with constituents, some of whom have challenged her on decisions like her no vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. On a town hall call she hosted this month focused on the Build Back Better Act, one caller asked her what progressives would do to avoid the criticism that they were the ones obstructing Bidens agenda with their no votes on infrastructure. Bush demurred, noting that she supported the bill but didnt back it because she wanted to keep leverage for the social spending bill. Another caller felt that being so focused on Build Back Better instead of touting the infrastructure bill was hurting the Democratic Party.

Bush speaks to supporters during her campaign event at Scene Event Space on Nov. 12, 2021 in St. Louis.

You even voted no to pass the infrastructure bill, which is great, its going to help St. Louis. Its going to help a whole lot of cities all over the nation. So why cant we talk more about whats in the infrastructure act and then still push for the Build Back Better? Bush again reiterated her position that both were necessary, and that the focus on the social policy bill was because it was the one whose fate was more uncertain.

Around Congress, Bush is known as part of the expanded version of the Squad of progressives pushing Democrats to go for bigger initiatives than political reality may always allow. Though they are reflective of the diversity within the party, voters have often rejected their ideas and preferences from the presidential primary in 2020 to local issues like a recent ballot amendment in Minneapolis that was endorsed by Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the Squad members, to replace the police department with a department of public safety. All of the Squad members represent Democratic districts; several, like Bush, knocked out incumbents to turn an already-Democratic district into something even more so, versus flipping a conservative or swing district. They are often used in Republican messaging to get a rise out of their base, and often those attacks are racist.

Thats the only problem I see with that kind of passionate commitment to positions. You gotta count on being frustrated.

In inquiries for insights into Bush from other lawmakers, BuzzFeed News was told a couple of times by members or their offices that they didnt know her very well, a reflection of the pandemic and her short time in Congress. And while Democrats acknowledge that theres a changing of the guard happening within the party and are broadly complimentary of her activist approach, it can sometimes run up against the realities of Congress.

Ive always been impressed with what she said, and I share a lot of her positions. The one thing about being that whats the best word? seemingly uncompromising is that you dont understand that in this body you never get 100% of what you want, says Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth, a House committee chair who is retiring at the end of this term. If you get 80% of what you want, thats more than most people will ever get.

Thats the only problem I see with that kind of passionate commitment to positions. You gotta count on being frustrated.

Bush speaks to supporters during her campaign event at Scene Event Space on Nov. 12, 2021, in St. Louis.

Bush can at times be exactly like other politicians. When you see her on the news or hear her on the radio, what she says is very intentional and thought out. She sometimes sidesteps issues, like on the town hall call. And though her own start in politics came protesting on the streets of Ferguson, and she has shared stories of her past that are hard to imagine coming from many lawmakers but that many Americans find relatable her experience being unhoused; an abortion; what steel-toed police boots feel like as they press down on your body her exposure to politics from a young age was unusual: Her father, Errol Bush, is a Northwoods alderman. Though she says she was reticent to enter politics herself because of this up-close seat to that sharp-elbowed world, she clearly ended up changing her mind.

People back home want something different, and this system has not been working, but until its completely changed, we have to still scream and make noise, and I think thats what makes Cori unique, says Missouri state Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, who met Bush while protesting in Ferguson in 2014. This approach to politics is becoming more common as younger, more diverse lawmakers enter office, some of whom, like Bush, survived a violent pro-Trump insurrection at the United States Capitol on their third day in office.

She brings the insurrection up when asked whether she agrees with Ocasio-Cortez, who was recently targeted in an anime video tweeted by a Republican lawmaker, that institutions dont protect [women of color]. Bush does agree the House, she says, has not done enough to protect members, especially when they take votes on hot-button issues. Its not just Congress where women of color arent protected, but yes, it happens there too. Earlier this week, she called for the expulsion of House Republicans who were seeking to hire Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of all charges, as an intern, arguing that every day it felt more dangerous going to work.

Bush says she understands that others have not gone through our experiences or walked through what its like to be a woman of color in America. They dont experience the vitriol and the hatred the same way. The problem, she says, is not just that you dont understand it. Its that we dont see your interest in trying to.

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Cori Bush Said The Democrats Old Ways Of Thinking Are Holding Them Back - BuzzFeed News

He said that his response to this was terribly misguided, was wrong, and Ive paid a heavy price.

Before the charges, Mr. Hunt, an aspiring actor, held a clerical job with the New York State courts system. (He has since been fired.) He also had a long history of promoting violent conspiracy theories online, including that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax and that the grunge rock star Kurt Cobain, who killed himself in 1994, was murdered.

The case against Mr. Hunt centered on a series of social media posts he made starting in December 2020, in which he encouraged the public execution of prominent Democrats in Congress, including Senator Chuck Schumer and Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

A central question at the trial was whether a reasonable person would view Mr. Hunts statements as serious threats. Prosecutors had to show that Mr. Hunt meant to interfere with the official duties of members of Congress, or to retaliate against them for certifying the election.

The statements included two Dec. 6 Facebook posts in which he described the Democratic lawmakers as high-value targets, and exhorted like-minded citizens to start up the firing squads, mow down these commies, and lets take america back!

The jury also saw a profanity-laced, 88-second video posted on the video-hosting site BitChute on Jan. 8, titled KILL YOUR SENATORS, in which Mr. Hunt urged others to join him in an armed insurrection around President Bidens inauguration. That same day, in a post on the social media website Parler, he urged others to bring your guns on Inauguration Day.

Mr. Hunt testified at trial in his own defense, an unusual move in criminal trials because it exposes the defendant to cross-examination and charges of perjury. He said he was not attempting to intimidate members of Congress, and that his statements had no intended audience. I was letting off steam and it was more online blathering than anything, he said.

Mr. Hunt said he had spent two years listening to heated political rhetoric from Republicans and Democrats, and getting wrapped up in it. It felt like he was in the stands of a football stadium, he said, with everybody drinking beer, and then all of a sudden I felt like the lights in the stadium went out and the spotlights all came on me.

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Man Who Threatened Democrats Online Sentenced to 19 Months in Prison - The New York Times

The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set newsroom policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or onbangordailynews.com.

Jared Golden represents Maines 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

For years, Democrats have made promises to American voters: Elect us, and we will lower the cost of prescription drugs. Elect us, and we will expand access to affordable health care. Elect us, and we will strengthen labor laws to protect the rights of workers. Elect us, and we will deliver important, common-sense reform to make life better for people in the working middle class.

Last week, we found out that Democratic party leaders also have been making other promises, this time to the donor class: A $275 billiontax break for millionaires and the very wealthy over five years. This giveaway is engineered by lifting the cap on the state and local tax deduction.

The factsof this proposal arent subject to serious dispute. Just 1.2 percent of the tax cuts would go to the lowest 60 percent of earners: those making less than $96,000 a year. Their average tax cut: less than $7 a year. Meanwhile, millionaire households would receive tax cuts averaging $15,590 a year.

That much money going to rich people adds up quickly. In fact, its the largest single provision within the Build Back Better Act right now. State and local tax deduction proponents are sticking to a misleading claim that their proposal would be paid for by extending the cap beyond its current expiration date of 2025. This offset looks good on paper, but it is largely a shell game that masks the true cost of this scheme, an increase in the debt of more than half a trillion dollars over the next decade.

To add insult to injury, this provision applies retroactively, allowing wealthy people to rake in windfalls from the past year, while the programs in the Build Back Better Act that would help working middle class people like capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors are delayed or expire after just a few years.

This should be an outrage to working middle class Americans. I know it enrages me. Fighting for the working middle class shouldnt first require a payoff to the millionaire class. Cleaning up the environment shouldnt start with a political bribe to the millionaire CEOs who get rich polluting it. We should be able to put money in the pockets of working families without stuffing cash in the pockets of millionaire campaign donors. I reject this tradeoff its a sham and its just one more sad example of the corrosive force of money in politics.

Theres a lot to like in the Build Back Better Act. Think what could be done with these hundreds of billions of dollars if we decided not to shower it on the rich. The child tax credit expansion only runs for a single year under this bill. Lets put the money toward a longer expansion. The bill isnt fully paid for, as the president promised it would be. Lets change that and commit to a bill that reduces the nations annual budget deficits. There are a thousand better ways to invest this money than to shell it out to millionaires.

The fact that this tax break has slipped through the seams into this legislation is proof of the corrupting influence of money in politics. The top beneficiariesof this provision are big contributorsto political campaigns in states like New York and California. Im not afraid to call this pay-to-play scheme out, and I voted against it. Unfortunately, last week, I was on my own.

The good news is that its not too late to fix this terrible deal. The state and local tax giveaway was never part of the presidents agenda his agenda has been hijacked. The bill is now headed to the Senate, where it needs the support of every member of the Democratic caucus to pass. Fortunately, several senatorshave spokenout in strong opposition to this giveaway.

I support negotiations to limit state and local tax cap relief to middle class households, and will be talking with these senators and the White House to try to fix this extremely misguided policy. The child tax credit proposal already in the bill which allows households making up to $150,000 a year to claim the full enhanced credit before phasing it out could provide a good blueprint for how to better target the deduction. We could use that same criteria to ensure that only working middle class families are getting tax relief through the state and local tax deduction.

Democrats have to make a decision: are we the party of the working class or the party of the millionaire class? We cant be both.

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Democrats can't be the party of both the working and the millionaire classes - Bangor Daily News

Democrats are growing gloomier in their outlook for the midterms next year amid President BidenJoe BidenBiden restates commitment to 'one China' policy on Taiwan in call with Xi Biden raises human rights with China's Xi during four hour meeting Biden, Xi hold 'candid' discussion amid high tensions MOREs poor approval ratings, nagging economic issues and GOP advantages in the redistricting process.

Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahyLeahy retirement shakes up Vermont politics The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump officials face legal consequences over defying subpoenas Sen. Patrick Leahy says he won't seek reelection MOREs (D-Vt.) announcement Monday that he will retire cast another spotlight on the growing uncertainty over whether Democrats will be able to keep control of the Senate and House.

Leahy is 81, has served eight terms and said it was time for a new generation to represent Vermont.

It is time to put down the gavel. It is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter, he said at a press conference at the Vermont State House.

His seat also is unlikely to be a big GOP target given the Democratic leanings of Vermont.

Yet it was easy to see how the prospect of losing the Senate majority in a chamber now split 50-50 between the parties could be a factor for a veteran senator to decide to hang it up.

Theres also the growing prospect that Republicans capture the House, which means the chances of Democrats passing new laws will fall dramatically.

Leahy is far from the first Democrat to announce their retirement.

Already three senior House Democrats who were expected to cruise to reelection next year, Reps. Mike DoyleMichael (Mike) F. DoyleDemocrats brace for flood of retirements after Virginia rout Pennsylvania Republican becomes latest COVID-19 breakthrough case in Congress House passes bills to secure telecommunications infrastructure MORE (Pa.), David PriceDavid Eugene PriceDemocrats brace for flood of retirements after Virginia rout North Carolina legislature approves new US House map Democracy's sudden peril was an inside-job MORE (N.C.) and John YarmuthJohn Allen YarmuthFighting Biden's dangerous reshaping of the Federal Reserve Democrats brace for flood of retirements after Virginia rout The Hill's Morning Report Presented by ExxonMobil House sprints for Build Back Better, infrastructure votes today MORE (Ky.), have announced they will not seek new terms.

It definitely seems like something changed in August, said Kyle Kondik, an analyst at the University of Virginias Center for Politics, who pointed to Bidens sharp drop in approval ratings after the messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he called a catalyst for the changing political environment.

Democrats loss in Novembers gubernatorial contest in Virginia and a near loss in New Jersey have also dimmed Democratic moods.

There are lots of other problems that have emerged this summer. COVID hasnt gone away, inflation, gas prices. The public is just in kind of a surly mood and the results from two weeks ago were not good for Democrats, Kondik added.

Kondik says no one can know for sure all the reasons why Leahy decided to step down at a time when 81 isnt that old for holding office in Washington. But he said the move will be interpreted as waning confidence among Democrats about their ability to hold onto power.

When senior members retire its sort of interpreted as a tacit acknowledgment of the environment, he said. There have been some senior Democrats in the House who have retired who also, like Leahy, probably would have easily won reelection had they run again.

It may be that these are senior members who were on the fence and were thinking, Boy, its looking more and more possible that the Republicans could be in the majority in both the House and the Senate and do I really want to go back to serving in the minority? he added.

Democratic strategists acknowledge the political environment doesnt look good at the moment but say theres time to turn around Bidens sagging poll numbers, which was a headwind for candidates in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this month.

Democrats did get some good news Monday, as lawmakers from both parties attended a signing ceremony for the bipartisan infrastructure bill that represents a significant win for Biden.

If you look at all the polling, were not in the best shape. Hopefully things are going to change before the midterms next year, said Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist and former senior Senate aide.

As recently as May, Leahy had seemed to be poised to run for a ninth term. Six months ago, he was asking his colleagues to support his reelection campaign if he decided to go ahead with one.

He held a fundraiser in May and raised $300,000 for his campaign account during the first quarter of the year.

Marcelle Leahy began treatment for a chronic form of leukemia earlier this year, and that may have factored into her husbands decision to leave Congress.

Some Democratic senators were surprised by Leahys news.

Im always surprised when anybody puts in their retirement, but I think his situation is such that hes given a lot of wonderful years, and you know about his wife, said Sen. Mazie HironoMazie Keiko HironoSanders backs Kaiser Permanente workers ahead of Monday strike Democrats scramble for path forward after election setbacks Democrats ramp up filibuster talks after voting rights setback MORE (D-Hawaii).

Steven S. Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis, said its perfectly reasonable for a senator to decide to move on after serving more than 45 years in the Senate.

Heres a guy retiring more or less when he should, when hes over 80, still reasonably healthy and has some other things he wants to do with his life, he said. I cant help but think that thats the primary consideration.

But Smith noted that Leahys ability to hold onto his post as Senate president pro tempore, which comes with many perks including the second-largest security detail in Congress and extra office space in the Capitol, is uncertain.

Whether hes counting on the Senate to turn or not, Im not sure, he said. The Senate, anyone would say, is up for grabs. Maybe a 50-50 proposition.

Smith also said theres a better than 50-50 chance that the House flips, which means that Democrats ability to pass landmark legislation after 2023 is at serious risk.

He said if Republicans are in the majority after 2022, it would affect what legislative record the next Congress could develop and what role Leahy could have in that process.

And besides, being in Congress right now is more or less unpleasant. Its just not the case that you can accomplish surprising things by working with the other side, he added.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) put out a statement asserting that Republicans have no chance of picking up Leahys vacant seat next year.

Vermont is a blue state that has not elected a Republican to statewide federal office in more than 20 years and Democrats look forward to winning this Senate seat in 2022, DSCC Chairman Gary PetersGary PetersSen. Patrick Leahy says he won't seek reelection Hillicon Valley The race to report cyber breaches Senators move to include 72 hour timeline for cyber incident reporting in defense bill MORE (Mich.) said in a statement.

A senior GOP aide, however, said its a sign of the times and the favorable political environment for Republicans that the DSCC even had to put out a statement insisting that theres no chance of Leahys seat flipping in what has been a reliably blue state.

Continued here:
Midterm gloom grows for Democrats | TheHill - The Hill

Senators are bracing for their debate over President BidenJoe BidenBiden restates commitment to 'one China' policy on Taiwan in call with Xi Biden raises human rights with China's Xi during four hour meeting Biden, Xi hold 'candid' discussion amid high tensions MOREs climate and social spending bill to keep them in Washington until, and potentially into, the holidays.

The timeline for the legislation has repeatedly slipped, but Democrats say they want to get it done this year even if that means working into Christmas or beyond, when Congress typically tries to take a weeks-long break.

House Democrats are hoping to pass the bill this week, with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) planning to release an analysis by the end of the day Friday. But even if the House sends the bill across the Capitol, it could still be weeks before it comes up in the Senate.

Its going to be intense, said Sen. Tim KaineTimothy (Tim) Michael KaineCongress barrels toward end-of-year pileup Senators urging federal investigation into Liberty University's handling of sexual assault claims Biden faces high stakes with progressives on Fed pick MORE (D-Va.). Im hoping we have off between Christmas and New Years, but Im expecting we will run it up until pretty close to Christmas.

Sen. Jon TesterJonathan (Jon) TesterManchin says he has 'no idea' if he'll run for reelection in 2024 Spending bill faces Senate scramble The good, bad, and uglyof Tester'sBlackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Act MORE (D-Mont.), asked when he thought Congress would be wrapped for the year, guessed: New Years Eve.

Do you have plans for Christmas? You can spend it at my house because my plans are screwed up too, Tester said, adding that he envisioned Congress finishing its work very late in December.

The threat of a Christmas pileup is a step back from Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerChristie: Trump rhetoric about stolen election led to Jan. 6 attack Senate Republicans call on colleagues to reject government spending bills without border wall funding Schumer presses Biden to tap oil reserves to lower gas prices MOREs (D-N.Y.) initial hope that the Senate could bring the measure up this week and pass it before leaving for a weeks-long Thanksgiving recess. If the Senate makes changes, which appears likely, the House will have to pass the bill a second time before it goes to Bidens desk.

But now the bill is not expected to come to the Senate floor until at least after Thanksgiving, where it faces competition on a crowded schedule.

The Senate will start debate on a sweeping defense policy bill this week, but senators dont expect to finish it before the recess. Though the National Defense Authorization Act is largely bipartisan, it eats up roughly two weeks of Senate floor time.

Instead, senators could return on Monday, Nov. 29, needing to finish the defense bill and move quickly to avert a government shutdown with funding running out starting Saturday, Dec. 4, two deadlines that would only further delay Bidens spending package.

Lawmakers havent said how long of a stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), they will try to pass by early next month. But they are looking at the option of a weeks-long CR to try to buy more time for a year-end government funding deal.

What I understand is were going to be operating on a continuing resolution until maybe the week before Christmas, said Sen. John CornynJohn CornynDemocrats face steep climb in Texas as O'Rourke mounts governor bid Senate GOP worries Trump could derail bid for majority Republican Senators request military aid for Taiwan amid pressure from China MORE (R-Texas), an adviser to Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellLeahy retirement shakes up Vermont politics Trump dismisses report McConnell tried to disinvite him from Biden inauguration McConnell tried to disinvite Trump from Biden inaugural, book claims MORE (Ky.), adding that one option was a CR through Dec. 17.

That would set up another funding deadline closer to Christmas.

This is creating quite a traffic jam, Cornyn added.

Schumer, in a letter to his caucus sent Sunday, didnt put a hard timeline on when the Senate will take up the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), though he said at the White House on Monday that they would try to pass the rest of Bidens spending plan in a few weeks.

Timing of consideration of the BBBA in the Senate will largely depend on when the House sends us the bill and when CBO finalizes their scores for all of the committees, which are needed to complete the Byrd Bath process, Schumer wrote in the Sunday letter, referring to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The Senate could need roughly a week to get the bill ready for the floor, based on estimates from Democrats.

Democratic senators are hoping to finish conversations with the parliamentarian this week on if the spending bill complies with a budget resolution that they approved earlier this year, which laid the way for it and included general top-lines. Theyre also expected to start conversations with the parliamentarian this week about if it complies with the Byrd rule, which lays out the budget process they are using on the social spending bill.

And to get the spending bill through the Senate given unified GOP opposition, theyll need total unity from all 50 Democrats, something they dont have yet.

Senate Democrats are still negotiating on a myriad of provisions including climate change measures, paid leave and tax reform. And Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinBiden signs trillion infrastructure bill into law The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump officials face legal consequences over defying subpoenas The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - Will Biden's big bill pass the House this week? MORE (D-W.Va.), a key swing vote, raised new concerns about inflation after data last week showed that it hit a 30-year high.

Manchin, who has previously called for a strategic pause, didnt rule out, or in, that the spending bill could be ready to pass this month.

Im not in charge of the calendar, he said.

Manchin added to another gaggle of reporters, Lets wait and see what inflation does.

Schumer warned his caucus of the impending end-of-year pileup, telling senators to please keep your schedule flexible for the remainder of the calendar year.

I am confident we can get each of these important items done this year, but it will likely take some long nights and weekends, he said.

Schumers warning appeared to be sinking in with senators.

Sen. Jerry MoranGerald (Jerry) MoranSenators seek to permanently expand telehealth eligibility Senate GOP signals they'll help bail out Biden's Fed chair Star gymnasts call on Congress to dissolve US Olympics board MORE (R-Kan.) was overheard whistling as he left the Capitol after a vote on Monday night. Asked by The Hill if he was whistling a Christmas carol, Moran confirmed that it was Ill Be Home for Christmas but warned that the next line in the song is if only in my dreams.

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Democrats face squeeze on Biden's spending bill | TheHill - The Hill