Democratic Moderates support the bipartisan infrastructure plan. But they have registered disappointment with Biden's soft infrastructure plan (the Build Back Better Plan). They say it is too expensive at a cost of $3.5 trillion over 10 years. 

When President Biden brought them to the White House, Senator Manchin of West Virginia said what many of the others were thinking -- that he would not vote for a $3.5 trillion plan. President Biden then asked him what number he would support. Manchin did not answer.

President Biden was right, but he did not go far enough. Manchin does need to tell him (and us) how big a plan he would support. But he needs to go farther. He needs to tell everyone what he would cut out of the Build Back Better Plan.

The $3.5 trillion was not a number picked out of the blue. It is the amount to adequately fund what is needed to be done. It makes no sense to pass all elements of Biden's plan, but with less funding. Failing to fully fund each element means they will not accomplish what needs to be done. And failing to accomplish goals is not passing a good plan.

Since a plan should not be passed without being fully funded, the moderates need to tell us what elements of the plan they wish to exclude. Do they want to do away with the child tax credit, funding for day care to let women get back to work, improving Medicare and Medicaid, pre-kindergarden for all children, free tuition at community college, or what?

I think all those programs are needed and should be fully funded so they will work. If the moderates don't believe that, it's time the told us what plans they don't think Americans need. Failure to do that is just more whining about numbers and means nothing.