House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) could soon be forced to hold a vote on a bipartisan infrastructure deal she had hoped to block. The $1 trillion infrastructure plan is backed by Republicans and moderate Democrats, though some have threatened to withdraw their support if Pelosi attempts to stall or attach the bill to a larger spending package.
“If the BIF is stand-alone, there is significant Republican support,” says Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). “If the BIF is linked to any other bill or held up for months, that support would fall apart.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a moderate Democrat from New Jersey, threatened to oppose a key budget resolution until the infrastructure bill is “signed into law.” House progressives, on the other hand, want to move forward with the budget resolution before holding a vote on the infrastructure deal.
“If there is not a reconciliation bill in the House and if the Senate does not pass a reconciliation bill, we will uphold our end of the bargain and not pass the bipartisan bill,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
The budget resolution, recently passed by the Senate, could allow Democrats to avoid a filibuster and pass a $3.5 trillion spending deal without Republican support. According to a senior aide, “dozens upon dozens” of lawmakers have promised to oppose the BIF until the chamber moves forward with reconciliation.