Democrats are unlikely to pass Biden’s social spending plan this year — here’s what it means

President Joe Biden’s social spending and climate policy bill has stalled in the Senate, all but extinguishing Democrats’ hopes of passing it this year.

Sen. Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat who alone can block his party’s plan, has not signed off on the $1.75 trillion proposal as his party waits to see whether it complies with Senate rules. It means any vote on the bill will likely slip into 2022, when the coming midterm elections will only heighten the sharp political pressure surrounding the plan.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday said his party will “continue working on getting the Senate into a position where we can vote on the president’s Build Back Better legislation.” He did not mention his goal of approving the plan by Christmas — a target date he has repeated for weeks.

Asked Wednesday if he believes the bill can pass this year, Biden said, “I hope so. It’s going to be close.”