In A Win For Progressives, Nancy Pelosi Raises The Bar For Infrastructure Vote

[bluewater]

Source: Huffington Post

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) suggested Wednesday that Democrats need to agree among themselves on the text of a major budget bill before the House can vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill. Her comments appeared to raise the bar for an infrastructure bill to move forward, making it far less likely a vote will occur on Thursday as planned.

Progressive Democrats in the House have threatened to withhold their votes from the infrastructure bill until the House and Senate also pass the Build Back Better bill, which contains major Democratic priorities on paid leave and child care.

In response to a question about the progressive threat, Pelosi implied there does need to be an agreement on “legislative language” for the budget bill in order for the infrastructure vote to occur. “I think that we come to a place where we have agreement in legislative language ― not just principal ― in legislative language that the president supports,” Pelosi said Wednesday.

Centrist Democrats have insisted the House pass the infrastructure bill this week, and a vote has been tentatively scheduled for Thursday. Party leaders have said they would pass the infrastructure bill in tandem with the budget, but in the past week Pelosi’s commitment seemed to waver, and progressives have insisted they would tank the infrastructure bill if the vote happened.

Asked Wednesday if she was specifically saying there had to be an agreement on budget bill text before the infrastructure vote, Pelosi said she wanted the two things done “simultaneously.”

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nancy-pelosi-infrastructure-budget_n_61547db9e4b075408bd1c326

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Asked Wednesday if she was specifically saying there had to be an agreement on budget bill text before the infrastructure vote, Pelosi said she wanted the two things done “simultaneously.”

Good Lord.

It's well past time for people like Manchin and Sinema to stop obstructing President Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda.

[qazplm135]

1. leverage goes two ways

and it's usually the best result when that happens.

A handful of folks want to have zero leverage against them, Pelosi should make sure that doesn't happen.

Both sides should have skin in the game.

[bluewater]

3. Our Choice: President Biden sets our Agenda or Manchin+Sinema do.

That is what this all boils down to.

I choose President Biden.

[qazplm135]

4. eh

I don't believe that President Biden has complete say over the agenda, it's a separation of powers republic for a reason.

I DO believe that our party should work to make sure that BOTH sides give up something and BOTH sides gain something for the good of the entire party.

Right now, one side wants it all and wants to give up nothing, and that pisses me off.

[bluewater]

5. the current reality is what it is

Right now it boils down to the President or Manchin & Sinema getting to set our agenda.

And when I hear "both sides" talk I shudder, since one of those "sides" is so much smaller than the other yet want not just an equal voice but veto power.

I appreciate your point that as one person, the President should not have total say, but he is the leader of our party and has consulted with all wings of the party. Manchin and Sinema have not.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Man, does she know how to drive that bus

Catch the move this week. Stalemate, stalling. She tacks the opposite direction. As soon as everyone is paying attention and putting more pressure on the obstacles, she's picked up progressive moves again. What a chessmaster.

[Deminpenn]

7. Didn't the big infrastructure bill just pass out of the House Ways and Means committee?

Presumably that means Dems have agreed to content and staff are working on specific language.