Infrastructure vote looks shaky as progressives balk, again
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders scrambled to shore up support for President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion reconciliation framework among party factions as they sought to finally vote Thursday on a bipartisan infrastructure package before the president lands in Europe.
Progressive lawmakers said they wanted to see the actual text and also wanted assurances it could pass the 50-50 Senate, with some even calling for a Senate vote first on the final text, which may not be ready for days.
House leaders posted an initial 1,684-page draft of the updated bill a little after 2 p.m. Eastern time, which the Rules Committee was preparing to start debate on.
But lawmakers were already angling to make further changes, potentially included in a managers amendment that could be incorporated before a floor vote. And it wasn’t clear yet what if any provisions would have to be dropped under the Senate’s “Byrd rule,” intended to prevent extraneous policy language from being included in filibuster-proof reconciliation bills.
“There’s some clarifications that will come forth because it’s always moving a bit,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday.
Even once they’ve had a chance to review the bill, however, some
all ages) progressives said they needed a Senate vote on the reconciliation text before they would support the infrastructure bill.
“We need to see the two bills simultaneously move together,” Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said. “If there is urgency in getting that done, the senators need to understand that urgency as well.”
Omar, the Congressional Progressive Caucus whip, said that, as it stands, there aren’t enough votes from caucus members for House leaders to be able to pass the infrastructure bill.
Progressive opposition spells trouble for the five-year infrastructure plan if Democratic leaders schedule a vote for later Thursday, as they said they hoped to. Surface transportation programs are set to expire Oct. 31, and lawmakers have been prepping another shortterm extension as a fallback, which could run through Dec. 3.
That would be a blow to the president, however, who’s now ventured up to Capitol Hill twice in the last month to try to secure the needed votes for the infrastructure bill, which together with the climate, child care, health care and other spending in the reconciliation bill comprise the bulk of his domestic agenda.
In remarks to the House Democratic Caucus on Thursday morning, Biden said his presidency, as well as Democratic control of
Food & Clothes Pantry
Friday 10am-12pm
Congress, could be on the line.
“I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the House and Senate majorities and my presidency will be determined by what happens in the next week,” the president said, according to a source familiar with the meeting. “I need you to help me. I need your votes.”
Emerging from a progressive caucus meeting Thursday, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib told reporters she’s a “hell no” on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill.
“We need both bills to ride together, and we don’t have that right now,” Missouri Rep. Cori Bush added. “I felt a little bamboozled because this is … not what I thought was coming today.”
Not all progressives felt the same way about first securing Senate passage of the reconciliation bill. But others still felt they needed stronger assurances it would have the 50 votes needed to pass under the filibusterproof process.
Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-ariz., said he didn’t know if he’d vote for the infrastructure bill. “There’s got to be some other deeper guarantees on the Senate side,” he said.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-wash., said members of her caucus are “absolutely committed to staying through the weekend” if necessary to vote for the infrastructure bill, as long as they can see fully baked text of the reconciliation bill.