There’s been a lot of back and forth on President Biden’s domestic policy plan that includes infrastructure spending and a $1.75 trillion social agenda. Biden released the latest iteration of the bill on Thursday.
Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA), who represents the 52nd congressional district, says this is a big task and he doesn’t expect a bill to be finalized today or tomorrow.
“It’s historic and I wouldn’t have expected this to be easy or quick. I think it’s going to take a lot of give and take, I think it should take a lot of give and take, this is a lot of money we’re investing, we should do it right,” Peters told KPBS.
The revised plan eliminates several items including free community college. Also gone is paid family leave, which is already offered by the state of California.
But Peters said a federal leave plan would not be redundant, “I think Californians would still benefit from it because I think it could take some of the pressure off our own pocket books if the federal government were supporting it.”
Also out, lifting the $10,000 cap on deductions for state and local taxes, known as SALT.
Peters said this is big for Californians, who pay higher state and local tax bills. He said, “California is invested in its future. Investments cost money. That’s why we have higher taxes, and the system has always been there to abate that on your federal tax payments since the beginning of the income tax. We think we’ve been singled out unfairly with a few other states, we’d like to get that benefit back.”
Despite the emphasis on the tug of war, and what’s in and out, Peters is optimistic. “I think we’re going to come out of it with something really really great and something we can be proud of as Americans and as a Congress,” he said.
