The Build Back Better Framework released by the White House on Oct. 28 would make some potentially transformative investments in American society. But those investments are severely weakened because most are scheduled to expire after only a few years to make the 10-year cost of the bill seem smaller than it really is. Advocates of this tactic hope that these temporary programs will prove so popular that a future Congress will extend them. But this risky bet would make it easier for a Republican-controlled Congress to kill the Democrats’ accomplishments without actually addressing the concerns of their fiscally pragmatic members.
While today’s lawmakers may like their own proposals, they cannot be sure that a future Congress will continue funding programs that are scheduled to expire. Making the Democratic agenda temporary empowers Republicans who want to repeal it.
