Progress on Biden's domestic policy plan sputters as holiday recess nears

Washington — As Democratic leaders' self-imposed Christmas deadline for passing President Biden's roughly $2 trillion domestic policy package draws near, discussions between the president and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia appear to be breaking down over the details of the measure.

The standoff between Mr. Biden and Manchin, whose support for the package is crucial to its passage, threatens to derail the spending bill, even as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stressed Wednesday that Democrats continued to work "on getting the Senate into a position where we can vote on the president's Build Back Better legislation."

But a source familiar with the matter said the talks between Mr. Biden and Manchin have been "going poorly," with the two Democrats "far apart." White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that the president spoke with Manchin twice this week and called the conversations "productive."