Lauren Moye, FISM NEWS
Progressive and moderate Democrats continue their standoff over two separate bills, prompting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to renege on yet another promise to bring the $1T infrastructure bill to a vote.
Pelosi wrote in a statement released yesterday: “While great progress has been made in the negotiations to develop a House, Senate and White House agreement on the Build Back Better Act, more time is needed to complete the task.”
She also predicted in this morning’s statement that the stalemate would end with both bills ending on Biden’s desk, “Again, we will and must pass both bills soon. We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so. People are waiting and want results.”
Pelosi first promised that the infrastructure bill, which passed through the Senate in August with slim bipartisan support, would be brought before the House for a Sept. 27 vote. After receiving pressure from progressive Democrat House members who refuse to vote until the Senate passes the $3.5T Build Back Better Act, Pelosi delayed that vote to Sept. 30, but then failed to meet that deadline as well.
Despite Pelosi’s positive statements, the future of both bills is still uncertain. The House failed to vote on the infrastructure bill on both Thursday and Friday. Instead, they passed a 30-day extension to prevent important surface transportation programs from expiring.
President Joe Biden visited the Democratic caucus yesterday to urge Democrats to work together on these bills. Biden told reporters that same day, “It doesn’t matter when. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in six minutes, six days or six weeks, we’re going to get it done.”
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki also addressed the topic in Friday’s press conference:
There have been discussions about what the path forward looks like — productive, constructive discussions… We feel we’ve made some progress.
However, moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin (W-Vir) and Krysten Sinema (Ariz) remain resolute in their commitment to vote against the social and climate resolution unless it is gutted to accommodate a smaller price tag.
Manchin has referred to the Build Back Better act as “fiscal insanity.” He wrote, “At some point, all of us, regardless of party must ask the simple question – how much is enough?”
Manchin also said, “While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot – and will not – support trillions in spending or an all or nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces. There is a better way and I believe we can find it if we are willing to continue to negotiate in good faith.”
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) wants to know what moderate Democrats want to cut from the bill. She added in a tweet: “These are the conversations we’re trying to have, but they don’t seem interested in telling us what they want in and what they want out.”
Meanwhile, Republican Senators have urged their House counterparts to consider breaking the deadlock so that the bills can become unlinked. Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Rob Portman (Ohio), Bill Cassidy (Loui.), Lisa Murkowski (Ark.), and Mitt Romney (Utah) released a joint statement last week:
Congress has talked about modernizing our nation’s infrastructure for as long as we can remember. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act deserves the support of House Republicans and Democrats alike.