Senate Democrats publicly release $3.5 trillion filibuster-proof budget reconciliation resolution

Senate Democrats have publicly released their $3.5 trillion, filibuster-proof budget reconciliation resolution.

The draft of the legislation released on Monday includes new spending programs that the White House has labeled "human infrastructure," such as universal pre-K, childcare support and tuition free community college.

The spending total is estimated over a 10-year period. Using budget reconciliation allows the Democrats to pass the measure without votes from Republicans in the 50-50 Senate. Democrats used the same process in March to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package called the American Rescue Plan Act.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has released reconciliation instructions for Senate committees to begin the process of writing the specific legislative language associated with the spending targets in the bill.

The Democrat-led Senate is currently finishing up a separate, bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. 

Schumer has said he would like to pass the reconciliation bill in addition to the infrastructure legislation before the chamber's August recess begins. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she would not allow a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill until the reconciliation bill passes.