House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House will vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill despite warnings from top liberal Democrats they will vote against it.
Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters the $1.2 trillion bill that pays for roads, bridges, water projects, and broadband expansion is critical for the success of the economy and can no longer wait. The bill has languished since Senate passage over the summer due to protests from House liberals who want to pass the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan that will pay for a broad array of social welfare programs first.
Pelosi is postponing final passage of the Build Back Better legislation because her centrist faction demands a cost analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, which could take weeks.
Instead, Pelosi has lined up votes to pass the infrastructure bill and merely advance the Build Back Better Plan, even as her caucus remains divided on both bills and their party’s small House minority leaves little room for defections.
“We have waited a while,” Pelosi said, explaining her decision to move the infrastructure bill. “We had hoped to do it sooner, but we can’t wait too much later for legislation.”
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Pelosi made the comment moments after House Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal warned members of her faction won’t vote until “we can vote on both bills together.”
The speaker, joined by her top leadership team, suggested to reporters the infrastructure bill can pass despite Jayapal’s threat.
“I do believe there are a large number of members of the Progressive Caucus who will vote for this bill,” Pelosi told reporters Friday. “That is my understanding.”
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters, “I believe we have the votes today to pass the infrastructure bill and provide a path forward for the Build Back Better plan.”
