“I believe that we will bridge our differences and advance the Build Back Better plan, even in the face of fierce Republican opposition,” Mr. Biden said. “It takes time to finalize these agreements, prepare the legislative changes and finish all the parliamentary and procedural steps needed to enable a Senate vote.”
He said that the work would continue “over the days and weeks ahead,” and that talks with Mr. Manchin would continue.
He did not mention the ruling, which was released just minutes before he issued the statement, but vowed to see the bill enacted into law.
Despite unanimous Republican opposition, Democrats had hoped to muscle the measure through the evenly divided Senate by Christmas, using the fast-track budget reconciliation process, which shields fiscal legislation from a filibuster.
But doing so would require the vote of every Democratic senator, making Mr. Manchin’s objections fatal. And it must also adhere to strict rules governing reconciliation, which require that every provision have a direct effect on the federal budget.