Schumer preps final shot at passing reconciliation bill as summer session kicks off

Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, face a tight deadline to pass their party-line reconciliation bill, with the August recess and campaign season coming soon.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is the key player in Democrats' reconciliation negotiations.  (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks with reporters following a closed-door policy lunch, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Tyler Olson covers politics for Fox News Digital. You can contact him at tyler.olson@fox.com and follow him on Twitter at @TylerOlson1791.

Democrats have been working on a reconciliation bill since last summer, when they initially planned legislation that could cost upwards of $3 trillion. However, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., killed that effort in December, citing inflation and the high price tag. Just one Democrat opposing a party-line bill is enough to block it in the 50-50 Senate.

Talks directly between Schumer and Manchin continued for months, and are now picking up with the August recess effectively a hard deadline for Democrats to pass anything.