Biden should restart talks with Manchin and pass his economic agenda by August, top progressive says

• Rep. Ro Khanna is urging Biden to restart negotiations on his economic agenda.
• "I think climate needs to be our biggest priority," Khanna told Insider.

Rep. Ro Khanna, an influential House progressive, is urging President Joe Biden to restart negotiations on a downsized version of his Build Back Better plan and get it passed within four months.

"I think what we need here is the presidential leadership to say, 'This is what I want. I am going to do everything I can to get a bold climate agenda by the August recess,'" Khanna said in an interview with Insider.

Khanna has been in touch over the past year with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democratic holdout on the defunct Build Back Better bill. Khanna seems to be comfortable shedding other parts of the legislation that the conservative Democrat may no longer support, such as initiatives to establish affordable childcare and universal pre-K.

"I think climate needs to be our biggest priority," Khanna told Insider. "I'm open to making compromises to get there if we can get a bold climate package."

Progressives spent much of last year trying to pressure moderates like Manchin to back a larger social spending and climate bill by blockading the infrastructure bill and advancing both in tandem. But Democratic leaders opted to separate the latter measure and approve it in November, only to see Manchin sink the House-approved Build Back Better plan a month later.

The California Democrat believed other progressives would largely agree with his views, given a wide desire among Democrats to deliver on as much of their agenda as possible before November. Democrats face a difficult midterm season with inflation at its highest levels in four decades. They're fearing major losses, particularly in the House.

"I think many of them would be open for it because they understand this is our moment to do something. What is the alternative? Election outcomes are always unpredictable," he said. "Are we really going to put the fate of our planet at risk with the outcome of an election?"

Khanna went on: "We didn't do anything on climate [that was] meaningful in Congress from 2009 to 2010 when we had both chambers and the presidency. We can't make the same mistake now."

When reached for comment, the White House directed Insider to an earlier statement. "The President's focus is on the path forward: on following unprecedented job creation he's delivered with an economic plan for the middle class that fights inflation for the long haul, cuts the cost of prescription drugs, child care, and energy while taking on the climate crisis, and further reducing the deficit," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told NBC News.

Manchin has sketched out a smaller bill that's focused on stepping up taxes on the rich, prescription drug negotiations, and some clean energy programs. But he hasn't committed to passing anything and only said he's open to restart negotiations. Democrats can't advance the bill without achieving unanimity in the 50-50 Senate.

He's already fired a warning shot to Democrats trying to revive the bill. Manchin recently told a West Virginia radio program that "we're not going down the social path in reconciliation." That suggests Democrats will ultimately be forced to abandon social programs like childcare and universal pre-K in order to lock down his vote.