WASHINGTON — President Biden and congressional Democrats vowed on Wednesday to push through a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint to vastly expand social and environmental programs by extending the reach of education and health care, taxing the rich and tackling the warming of the planet. The legislation is still far from reality, but the details that top Democrats have coalesced around are far-reaching. Medicare benefits would be expanded, and green cards would be extended to some undocumented immigrants. But crucial moderate lawmakers had yet to say whether they would accept the proposal, with a majority of policy details left to resolve. Mr. Biden’s message to the senators on Wednesday, said Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, was “be unified, strong, big and courageous.”

Source: New York Times July 14, 2021 20:03 UTC