Mr. Manchin said the surprise compromise began to take shape just days after he and Senator Chuck Schumer, D-New York and the majority leader, had a bitter break during heated negotiations over the plan when West Virginia informed Mr. Schumer that he might not support a package of new climate spending or tax proposals this summer amid soaring inflation. “You know how our composure gets a little ahead of us at times,” Mr. Manchin, who is in self-isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus this week, told reporters during a mock news conference. Mr. Schumer, he said, had “untied the dogs” on him two weeks ago after he said he could not commit to the plan. But four days later, the two patched up their split and sent their staffs back to the negotiating table to come up with a version they could both accept. By Wednesday, they had struck a deal. Crucial concessions that ultimately won Mr. Manchin’s support included dropping billions of dollars worth of tax increases that he opposed and a commitment by President Biden and Democratic leaders to introduce legislation to streamline energy infrastructure licensing. That could ease the way for a shale gas pipeline project in West Virginia in which Mr. Manchin has taken a personal interest. “I’m telling you straight, without allowing for reform, without America’s ability to do what it does best — produce — there is no bill,” he told West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval Thursday morning. “That is fully agreed and understood.” In a private caucus meeting Thursday morning, Mr. Schumer began laying the groundwork for an arduous process to guide the compromise through the evenly divided Senate, made more difficult by the chamber’s arcane minimum-majority rules. of Democrats and an increase in coronavirus among senators. He advised Democratic senators that they had an opportunity to implement their long-held ambitions to combat the threat of climate change and allow Medicare, for the first time, to negotiate prescription drug prices, lowering costs for patients. “It will require us to stick together and work long days and nights for the next 10 days,” Mr. Schumer told his colleagues, according to a Democrat in the room, who disclosed details of the private meeting on condition of anonymity. He added: “We will need to be disciplined in our messaging and focus. It will be difficult. But I believe we can do this.” The abrupt announcement of a deal held the promise of a major reversal of fortunes for Mr. Biden and Democrats, who had resigned themselves to the collapse of the climate, energy and tax package and were preparing to advance a bill that would combine the prescription drug pricing measure with extension of expanded health care subsidies. If the compromise stands and survives consideration by both the Senate and the House, it will allow them to introduce major legislation just weeks before midterm congressional elections to address health care costs, climate change and inflation – all while fulfilling longstanding promises to tax the rich. and reduce the deficit. But the fate of the measure remained on shaky ground. It was unclear whether it would have the unanimous support among Democrats needed to pass. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona and another captive in her party’s domestic policy package, skipped Thursday’s House Democratic Caucus meeting and did not comment on the bill or indicate whether she planned to support it. “He is looking at text and will have to review what comes out of the parliamentary process,” a spokeswoman said. Ms. Sinema had previously opposed one element of the deal: a proposal to change preferential tax treatment for income earned by venture capitalists. Even if it manages to win a vote in the Senate, the measure would also have to pass the House, where Democrats can only spare a few votes given likely unanimous Republican opposition. Democratic leaders aimed to hold votes on the legislation in the Senate as early as next week, before the chamber is scheduled to depart for its annual August recess. But they will have to navigate the legislation through a series of parliamentary and procedural challenges, including a series of amendments that Republicans can push before a final vote. And with Republicans expected to unanimously oppose the measure, Democrats will need all 50 senators on the caucus to be present and support the package to pass the Senate, along with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie. Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, said Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the latest senator to be forced into self-isolation this month.
