President Joe Biden hopes to convince Democrats to back his economic and environmental proposals before he leaves for Europe. The White House announced his spending bill framework Thursday morning. In a move to meet with progressives, Biden has slashed the bill’s price tag in half. It’s been cut from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion. The framework includes nearly $2 trillion in tax hikes—including a tax on stock buybacks, set to garner $125 billion, a so-called billionaire’s tax, and new ways for the IRS to crack down on tax dodgers, among other means. Biden’s COVID-19 adviser Jeff Zients says the administration is planning to finalize its vaccine mandate for companies in the near future. He claims employees will comply, fending off a worsening supply chain crunch. Many businesses have already implemented the rule. But in recent weeks, a number of business leaders—ranging from the trucking industry, air cargo, manufacturing, to retail—sent warnings to …