I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Monday, October 25th.

The Democrats are on the verge of finalizing the build back better or human infrastructure bill.

Most of the coverage is focusing

on what's getting cut out of the bill, and we'll talk about that too, because that's part of these

endgame negotiations. But let's not forget to talk about what's in it and how transformative

it could be, because remember President Biden's goal, the biggest leap since the 1960s in how

government helps to fight the decline of the middle class and income inequality. In a video to

constituents over the weekend, the leader of the House Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman

Pramila Jayapal of Washington State, reminded everyone what they're fighting for that was in the bill proposed by the president himself before Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema started chopping it down.

We have to do everything possible to deliver paid leave, childcare, pre-K, community college, climate action, health care, affordable housing, home care, and a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants.

The President knows that progressives are fighting for these priorities.

According to NBC News, over the weekend, things likely to be in the final package include universal pre-K,

that's huge by itself. Four weeks of paid family leave, welcome America to the world of other modern

industrialized countries, elder care provisions, dental care vouchers, increases to Pell Grants for making college affordable for more people,

and an extension of the child tax credit, which sponsors say is already cutting child poverty in half

in the first months of its trial run, and funding to fight climate change. Would that add up to a new,

a new, new deal? Great society? Would

that add up to a great society? Would it be New Deal big? Would it be great society big?

That conversation is just beginning. And of course, we have to see the final package.

But let's remember to talk about what's in the bill, not just what's coming out of it.

With me now, John Nichols, National Affairs correspondent for the nation.

He's also a contributing writer for the progressive.

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