As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left the Capitol in the wee hours of Friday morning, she continued to express optimism that Democrats can come to a deal on their reconciliation bill and convince progressives to vote for the infrastructure bill.
“We're not trillions apart,” she said according to Fox News' Jason Donner. “There'll be a vote today."
It's not clear, however, if there will be a vote Friday. Pelosi said there would be a vote Monday, then that there would be a vote Thursday. But no infrastructure vote happened either day.
Earlier in the evening Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., doubled down on his stance that $1.5 trillion is enough for a reconciliation bill and said he thinks an agreement is possible with some more time.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left the Capitol building shortly after midnight Friday morning, as did White House liaisons Brian Deese and Susan Rice, and moderate Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.
Democrats failed to come to an agreement on their reconciliation bill Thursday and thus weren't able to convince moderates get on board with the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The failure to come to a deal Thursday doesn't necessarily mean that Democrats won't be able to get either of these pieces of legislation passed. But it is a major blow to Democrats, who emphasized the urgency of both bills and targeted the month of September to pass them.
Gottheimer specifically did not answer questions from the press as he left the building.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer informed members that a vote on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill will not occur tonight. Negotiations will continue for at least one more day.
The delay occurred despite days of negotiations spearheaded by President Biden, top members of his administration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Members of the House Progressive Caucus are adamant they will not pass the bipartisan bill until an agreement framework is in place for Biden's $3.5 trillion spending bill. But moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema refuse to back a bill of that size, leaving party leaders at an impasse on Biden's signature pieces of legislation.
Earlier in the night, Manchin reiterated that he felt the spending bill should be no larger than $1.5 trillion. He noted ongoing good-faith negotiations with top White House and Congressional officials, though those talks had yet to yield an agreement.
A failure among Democrats to reach a consensus would mark a major setback for Biden's agenda and his pledge to "build back better" from the COVID-19 pandemic.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released the following statement after the delay became official:
"The President is grateful to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer for their extraordinary leadership, and to Members from across the Democratic Caucus who have worked so hard the past few days to try to reach an agreement on how to proceed on the Infrastructure Bill and the Build Back Better plan. A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever. But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.
"While Democrats do have some differences, we share common goals of creating good union jobs, building a clean energy future, cutting taxes for working families and small businesses, helping to give those families breathing room on basic expenses—and doing it without adding to the deficit, by making those at the top pay their fair share."
{{#rendered}}Sen. Joe Manchin Thursday night said that he does not believe Democrats will reach a deal on their reconciliation bill Thursday night, Fox News' Jason Donner reports.
"No, I don't, I don't see a deal tonight. I really don't," Manchin said after a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and White House liaisons.
"We just we need a little bit more time, we're getting that time in order to do it we're gonna come to an agreement, I'm trying to make sure they understand that I'm at 1.5 trillion," Manchin also said. "I think 1.5 trillion does exactly the necessary things we need to do to take care of our children and take care of our people at the end of life, our seniors and we're working hard on that."
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., concluded a meeting with representatives from the White House shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday evening, Fox News' Jason Donner reports.
The moderate senators hold the key votes to Democrats' reconciliation bill in the Senate. Democratic leaders hope that if they agree to the reconciliation bill then progressives will vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill Thursday.
White House liaisons Brian Deese and Susan Rice went into Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office shortly after.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told fellow Democrats that she is still working with the White House and Senate Democrats to come to a deal on their reconciliation bill.
“The clock just struck nine in the evening of a very productive and crucial day. Thanks to every House Democrat, we passed and sent to the President the Continuing Resolution to keep government open to meet our responsibilities and the needs of the American people,” Pelosi said.
She added: “Discussions continue with the House, Senate and White House to reach a bicameral framework agreement to Build Back Better through a reconciliation bill.”
The vague statement comes as talks on reconciliation and the bipartisan infrastructure bill dragged late into the evening Thursday. Democratic leaders are hoping an agreement would convince progressives to vote for the infrastructure bill.
It’s unclear whether an agreement is possible, or whether progressives would vote for the infrastructure bill even if a deal is struck.
Despite the obstacles, Pelosi said, “All of this momentum brings us closer to shaping the reconciliation bill in a manner that will pass the House and Senate.”
{{#rendered}}Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that the way top Democrats are negotiating their reconciliation bill Thursday night is "absurd" and "unacceptable," and said he hopes the infrastructure bill fails if it comes up for a vote.
"It is an absurd way to do business, to be negotiating a multitrillion dollar bill a few minutes before a major vote with virtually nobody knowing what's going on. That's unacceptable," Sanders said just off the Senate floor, according to Fox News' Kelly Phares.
"And I think what has got to happen is that tonight the bipartisan infrastructure bill must be defeated. And we can sit down and work out a way to pass both pieces of legislation," Sanders continued. "So I want to see the infrastructure bill passed, but it's absolutely imperative that we pass a strong reconciliation bill that deals with the needs of working families, and that deals with the existential threat of climate change."
Sanders said that everyone should go home and that talks should take place Friday instead.
The House of Representatives will not vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill until at least 10 p.m., Democratic leaders announced.
Democrats are struggling to come to an agreement on a framework for their reconciliation bill. Senate and House leaders are working with White House representatives and moderate senators to try to hammer out a deal so that progressives may vote for the infrastructure bill.
White House liaisons Susan Rice and Brian Deese are meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Fox News' Kelly Phares reported.
Deese and Rice did not answer reporters' questions.
The White House and congressional Democratic leadership are trying to hammer out a deal on a framework for the reconciliation bill Thursday night in order to convince progressives to vote for the bill.
It's unclear whether it will work, as progressives have demanded that the reconciliation bill passes before they touch infrastructure, not just an agreement.
{{#rendered}}House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday evening that Democrats are making progress on a deal on their reconciliation bill which could enable a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
"Yes," she said when asked if progress is being made.
But Pelosi was vague when asked what time the House could vote on infrastructure.
"When we bring it to the floor," she said.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Thursday that he will "find out in a little bit" if there's going to be a deal on Democrats' budget reconciliation deal tonight, according to Fox News' Kelly Phares.
"Anything is possible," Manchin said with a shurg when asked if a framework could come Thursday.
"I think everyone understands where everyone is," he added.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., is expressing confidence Thursday about the chances the House of Representatives will pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
"I’m proud to be one of the members of the House Democratic Caucus — virtually 100 percent — who want to pass both critical parts of the President's agenda," he said in a tweet. "That starts today with the House voting on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. It’s critical to the country & NJ."
Earlier Thursday Gottheimer said he is "very positive" the House will vote on the infrastructure bill.
"We’re voting today," he said. "It's not going to fail."
{{#rendered}}House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., slammed moderate Democrats over their opposition to Democrats $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.
"We won’t let massive corporations, billionaires, and a few conservative Democrats stand in the way of delivering transformational progress for millions of working people," Jayapal said. "Stick to the plan. Pass both bills, together."
The tweet comes as Democrats try to hammer out a last minute deal on reconciliation that will allow progressives to vote in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Progressives have demanded reconciliation be passed first. That is not realistic as Democrats still haven't agreed in principle to a price tag and contents for the bill.
But leaders are hoping an agreement on the contents of the bill might be enough to wrangle the progressive votes needed to pass infrastructure Thursday. If the vote fails or is delayed further, top Democrats are concerned that moderates could tank the reconciliation bill in retaliation.
Per Fox News' Chad Pergram: The House is now in recess "subject to the call of the chair." That usually means they're working behind the scenes, trying to see if they have the votes on the infrastructure bill to move tonight. Fox is told they need to get all sides aligned - to some extent - on a social spending bill first. Getting things semi-lined up on the social spending plan could then unlock the necessary votes on the infrastructure package.
Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich reports members are being told any votes today won't happen until after 9 p.m.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted Thursday that the Democratic Party’s infighting over a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package is democracy at work, according to Fox News' Jessica Chasmar.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asked Psaki during her daily press briefing whether President Biden had "lost control of his party," given the reality that Democrats could fail to deliver on two major pieces of legislation furthering his domestic agenda if moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., cannot agree on the price tag.
"This is how democracy works," Psaki responded.
"I know it feels foreign because there wasn’t much that happened over the last couple of years," she continued, taking a dig at former President Donald Trump. "But how it works is the American people elect their elected officials, the president of the United States puts forward a bold and ambitious proposal, and then everybody negotiates about it."
{{#rendered}}Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said on Thursdsay that she is "on the edge of her seat" to look at any agreement President Biden comes to with moderate senators on a reconciliation bill, according to the Hill print pool.
The White House has been in talks with Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., this week for a potential agreement on a reconciliation bill. Progressives have said that without the passage of a reconciliation bill that's to their liking, they will torpedo the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to bring the infrastructure bill up for a vote Thursday.
"The White House is talking to Sinema and Manchin trying to work something out. I don't know what that is, I don't have any indication of what that is, I have no idea if it's going to get there," Jayapal said Thursday. "If they send something over I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see it. And I told the speaker, you know, if we, if we need to stay here until we get the reconciliation. I'm happy to stay here and keep working and try to get it done."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is still planning to hold a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill Thursday, Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich reports.
Part of the reason the speaker is still pushing to hold the vote is a threat from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to torpedo reconciliation if the infrastructure vote fails or is delayed.
Fox News is told Democrats have been negotiating among themselves on a package that is expected to cost between $2 trillion and $2.5 trillion. It is unclear whether this would have buy in from progressives who want higher price tag or moderate senators who want a lower one.
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on laughed Thursday when asked about a $1.5 trillion topline number floated by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Fox News' Hillary Vaughn and Alex Rego report.
"Uhh, for one year?" Ocasio-Cortez said, laughing. She said there are "a lot of games being played with this number" and emphasized that over 1 years $3.5 trillion is $350 billion per year.
"You know, most of the senators that just a few weeks ago authorized a seven hundred and thirty odd billion defense budget authorization for one year," Ocasio-Cortez added. "So why is something half that size needed to be chopped down another half? So if this is really the deficit, then maybe we go after our defense spending and find our savings there instead of going after people's child care."
Sources tell Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is still planning to hold a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill Thursday. But it is unclear how the bill can pass given progressive opposition.
{{#rendered}}Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who played a major role in negotiating the bipartisan infrastructure bill and is up for reelection next year, told Fox News Thursday that he hopes House progressives will vote for the infrastructure bill.
"Oh yeah, I worked on this for months. I mean, I want to see it pass," Kelly said. "Roads, bridges, ports of entry in our state, water infrastructure. We're in this historic drought. We need more water storage, and desalinization projects are important. There's a lot that needs to be done in the state of Arizona so yeah I recommend every member of the House to vote yes."
House progressives are threatening to tank the infrastructure bill without an ironclad agreement on or passage of Democrats' reconciliation bill.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who is not up for reelection anytime soon, had a similar message for House Republicans who are bailing on the infrastructure bill for the opposite reason -- because Pelosi linked it with reconciliation.
"I think they should vote for the infrastructure package," Cramer said. "One thing it does... is a primary purpose of the federal government and that is the interstate commerce. That's a Republican ideal. It's also paid for with existing funds that doesn't require any tax increases."
Cramer added that the infrastructure bill could also combat inflation: "At this time of growing inflation, rising inflation, it pushes against that because it contributes, invests in the supply side of the economic ledger. All this free money that's just been thrown into the marketplace has increased demand while decreasing supply. That's why we have runaway inflation."
Cramer added that he likes the regulatory reforms in the infrastructure bill, including those that help reduce methane flaring in oil wells and helps reclaim abandoned wells.
Kelly also reacted to reports that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is telling the White House and top Senate Democrats that $1.5 trillion is his topline. He said the contents of the bill and whether it's paid for is the more important discussion
"It's more about what are we buying here and what are the details of the reconciliation bill and how are we paying for it," Kelly said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., expressed a frustration Thursday with an alleged lack of specifics from moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in his negotiations on Democrats' reconciliation bill.
Warren specifically said that Manchin hasn't laid out what parts of the bill he is willing to see go in order to get down to this topline number.
"When someone describes a topline number that is significantly different from what we've been negotiating, I always ask, what they would want to cut?" Warren said. "And so far I haven't heard any answers."
Warren is a leader among progressives in the Senate and was one of 11 Democrats to sign a letter supporting the House Progressive Caucus in its stance that it will only vote for the infrastructure after the reconciliation bill is passed.
Manchin Wednesday night and Thursday morning specifically said he wants new programs means-tested and wants to make sure the bill is helping people who need it, not those who could help themselves.
"No, no, my topline has not been -- my topline has been 1.5 because I believe in my heart that what we can do... and what we can afford to do without basically changing our whole society to an entitlement mentality," Manchin told reporters Thursday.
Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., again reiterated that members of her caucus will not vote for the infrastructure bill until the reconciliation bill passes -- pouring yet more cold water on efforts to pass infrastructure Thursday.
"We have said clearly, and we reiterated this again for the speaker and we're in the same place that we will not be able to vote for the... infrastructure bill until the reconciliation bill has passed," Jayapal said. according to Fox News' Jason Donner.
Jayapal emphasized that it's 4% of House Democrats who oppose passing the reconciliation bill -- along with moderate senators -- and that progressives don't trust them to vote for reconciliation if infrastructure passes first.
"The speaker understands that it isn't about the speaker's word," Jayapal said, emphasizing it's the moderates' word she doesn't trust. "That is the group we're concerned about. So this isn't about trusting the speaker, it's not about trusting the president. It's really about the vote as an ironclad assurance in the Senate."
Jayapal has said this for months. She appeared Sunday to entertain the idea of accepting an agreement on a reconciliation framework in exchange for a vote on infrastructure. But it seems she's since walked back that stance.
{{#rendered}}Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., weighed in on the negotiations over the reconciliation bill, breaking what's largely been a policy of not commenting on the talks.
Sinema was very vague about what exactly her demands are.
"While we do not negotiate through the press – because Senator Sinema respects the integrity of those direct negotiations – she continues to engage directly in good-faith discussions with both President Biden and Senator Schumer to find common ground," a statement from Sinema's communications director said.
But the senator did lay out one specific marker: She will not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion. This is the same stance she laid out in a July statement.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who is key to Democrats' negotiations on a reconciliation bill, doubled down on his $1.5 trillion topline number for the legislation.
"No, no, my topline has not been -- my topline has been 1.5 because I believe in my heart that what we can do... and what we can afford to do without basically changing our whole society to an entitlement mentality," Manchin said.
Manchin also said he shared the $1.5 trillion number with President Biden in "the last week or so." And he condemned progressives for threatening to tank the infrastructure bill over their reconciliation demands.
"No two bills should ever be linked together to the point where you're going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good," Manchin said.
He told progressives that if they want to pass legislation that he doesn't want, they should "take that to the campaign trail" next year to elect more liberals, rather than hold up the infrastructure bill.
"I've never been a liberal in any way shape or the form," Manchin said. "I'm not asking them to change. I'm willing to come from zero to 1.5 [trillion dollars]."
Asked if he is willing to risk passage of infrastructure bill rather than come up from his $1.5 trillion number, Manchin said the fate of infrastructure "is up to them [progressives in the House], not me."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top deputy, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, sent mixed messages on how likely it is that the House passes an infrastructure bill Thursday, in comments that came just minutes apart.
"Think positively," Pelosi, D-Calif., said to conclude her press conference Thursday. She attempted to reassure progressives saying, "We will have a reconciliation bill for sure" and, "That is the plan," referring to passing the infrastructure bill on Thursday.
"We are proceeding in a very positive way to bring up the bill of the BIF, to do so in a way that can win. And so far so good," Pelosi said. She added that Democrats "are on a path to win the vote."
But minutes later, Hoyer, D-Md., directly contradicted Pelosi when asked whether he thinks the infrastructure bill will pass Thursday.
"Nope," Hoyer said.
{{#rendered}}A Senate aide tells Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said in a memo to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that he can't guarantee his vote for any reconciliation bill that's more expensive than $1.5 trillion.
The development comes after progressives signaled anything less than $2.5 trillion for a reconciliation bill would be difficult for them to vote for. And it underscores the wide gulf Democrats have to bridge if they want to to come to an agreement on a reconciliation bill before a planned infrastructure vote Thursday.
Manchin spokeswoman Sam Runyon told Fox News: "There is no agreement, Manchin stands by his statement yesterday and reports of a number are completely inaccurate. He will continue to work in good faith."
A spokesman for Schumer told Fox News: "As the document notes, leader Schumer never agreed to any of the conditions Sen. Manchin laid out; he merely acknowledged where Sen. Manchin was on the subject at the time. As the document reads, Sen. Manchin did not rule out voting for a reconciliation bill that exceeded the ideas he outlined, and Leader Schumer made clear that he would work to convince Sen. Manchin to support a final reconciliation bill – as he has doing been for weeks."
Multiple sources tell Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that discussions for a bill are currently circling around a number that is less than the $3.5 trillion progressives want, but is also higher than Manchin's $1.5 trillion starting point.
There have been no agreement, but the range being discussed is between $2 trillion and $2.5 trillion.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Thursday that he "cannot accept" the United States shifting to an "entitlement mentality" with people expecting to be taken care of by big government programs, according to Fox News' Kelly Phares and Hillary Vaughn.
"I cannot accept our, our economy, or basically our society moving towards an entitlement mentality that you're entitled. Okay, I'm more of a rewarding, because I can help those who really need help, if those who can help themselves do so," Manchin said.
The comment was similar to a statement Manchin released Wednesday night. But it underscores how difficult it will be for Democrats to come to a deal about what should be included in their reconciliation bill. It is currently packed with such programs.
Manchin also doubled down on his calls for the House to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill without a deal on reconciliation -- a prospect that is looking more unlikely by the hour.
"The House needs to vote on that bill and they need to pass that bill," Manchin said. "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
If the bill does not pass Thursday, Manchin said, "it makes it more challenging" to come to an agreement on the reconciliation bill.
"I'm always I'm rational I'm going to work and talk with people but the bottom line is it makes it very hard, because then people get more dug in," Manchin said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., says he's not confident the infrastructure bill will pass Thursday, according to Fox News' Jason Donner.
This is a direct contradiction of what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in her press conference Thursday morning.
When asked about whether he is optimistic about the bill's ability to pass, Hoyer responded, "Nope."
Hoyer is the second-ranking Democrat in the House.
{{#rendered}}House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Thursday morning continued her efforts to reassure House progressives that Congress will pass a reconciliation bill while projecting confidence the infrastructure bill will pass, despite its seemingly bleak outlook.
“The reconciliation bill is the culmination of my service in Congress,” Pelosi said. “Remove all doubt in anyone’s mind that we will not have a reconciliation bill. We will have a reconciliation bill for sure.”
House progressives are the ones threatening to tank the infrastructure bill in a vote planned Thursdsay.
Pelosi also said she believes things are going well on efforts to whip votes for the infrastructure bill, despite the fact she wished she had more time to negotiate.
"We are proceeding in a very positive way to bring up the bill of the BIF, to do so in a way that can win. And so far so good," Pelosi said. She added that Democrats "are on a path to win the vote."
Asked if the bill would pass Thursday, Pelosi said, "that is the plan."
Pelosi was also asked about Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., one of the two Senate moderates who present perhaps the largest obstacle to coming to an infrastructure agreement. Pelosi complimented the senator and said she believes he is open to negotiation -- despite Manchin's statement opposing a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill Wednesday night.
"We're talking about substance. We're not talking about rhetoric. And we're not even talking about dollars. We're talking about what is important in the legislation and where can we find common ground," Pelosi said. "We have our common ground."
Despite the wide gulf between Manchin and progressives -- and progressives' threats to torpedo the infrastructure bill -- Pelosi maintained an air of optimism that the infrastructure bill will pass Thursday.
"I do not plan to not do anything. I plan on moving forward in a positive way," she said. "We are on a path to win the vote."
It would likely take a massive change in the status quo for the infrastructure bill to pass Thursday, as dozens of progressives say they won't vote for it without a lot of progress on reconciliation. Meanwhile, only a handful of House Republicans remain in favor of the infrastructure bill. Democrats have a slim three-vote majority.
According to the Hill pool, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was asked Thursday about the planned infrastructure vote and the moderate-progressive standoff that looks like it may doom the vote.
"Hour by hour. You’re moment by moment. I’m hour by hour," Pelosi said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will address the media at 10:45 a.m. Thursday. She is likely to face a barrage of questions about how she can pass the infrastructure bill and where negotiations stand on the reconciliation bill.
The government is also set to shut down at midnight, though Congress looks like it's on a path to temporarily avert a shutdown. Pelosi could face questions about that bill or the looming debt ceiling crisis.
{{#rendered}}Fox News' Chad Pergram reports that a group of House Republicans who initially supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill could be key to the fate of the legislation if it comes up for a vote in the House on Thursday.
There were initially dozens of House Republicans who supported the bill but many have flaked because Hosue Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., intertwined that bill too much with the reconciliation bill, they say.
As of Thursday morning it appears the progressives threatening to tank the infrastructure bill over a lack of a reconciliation deal outnumber Republicans who may vote for it. But that could change if the White House and moderate Democratic senators come to an agreement in the next few hours.
Here are the House Republicans to watch:
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., John Katko, R-N.Y., Tom Reed, R-N.Y., Fred Upton, R-Mich., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Don Young, R-Alaska, Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, Chris Smith, R-N.J, Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., Young Kim, R-Calif., Dan Meuser, R-Pa., Rodney Davis, R-Ill., and David Joyce, R-Ohio.
It looks highly unlikely that the House of Representatives will pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill today amid a standoff between progressives who insist there must be an agreement on Democrats' $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill first, and moderates who say the opposite.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. -- who has been in talks with the White House about the potential for a smaller reconciliation bill -- said Wednesday night he "can’t support $3.5 trillion more in spending." Among his reasons were inflation and that the spending is not targeted. He called Democrats current reconciliation package "fiscal insanity."
This triggered yet another volley of attacks from progressives, who swear that they will tank the infrastructure bill if it does come up for a vote Thursday.
"Our position has not changed," Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., tweeted shortly after Manchin released his statement. "We will not ignore families who desperately need childcare. We will not ignore the unhoused. And we will not ignore the future of our planet. We will deliver the President's *full agenda* once the Senate passes the Build Back Better Act."
"What they want to do is split them apart, force a vote on the [reconciliation bill] and because we have such narrow margins in the Senate and the House... the read that we have is that they'll just dump the [reconciliation bill], leave the other one out to dry and just never actually vote on it," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said Wednesday on MSNBC.
If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is forced to pull the Thursday infrastructure vote -- or if it fails -- it will be a major blow to Democrats and President Biden. But it won't necessarily be a fatal blow to either that or the reconciliation bill. They can bring both up at a later time.
And with Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., continuing negotiations with Biden on reconciliation, it's possible there is a breakthrough Thursday, though it's exceedingly unlikely.
If the vote comes up without a deal, the math looks bleak for the infrastructure bill. Only about a dozen Republicans are expected to vote for the infrastructure bill, while progressives claim about three to four dozen of their members will vote against it. Democrats only have a three-seat majority.
{{#rendered}}Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Wednesday that he would not support "spending trillions more" on social programs, highlighting an ongoing dispute between the moderate Democrat and party leaders that threatens to derail negotiations on President Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending bill.
In a lengthy statement on the negotiations, Manchin said he has "made clear to the President and Democratic leaders" that it would be the "definition of fiscal insanity" to greenlight more spending despite funding shortages for social security and Medicare. Manchin also cited concerns about the potential impact to inflation and the shaky U.S. economic recovery.
"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," Manchin said. "There is a better way and I believe we can find it if we are willing to continue to negotiate in good faith."
House lawmakers voted 219-212, mostly along party lines, in favor of a standalone bill to suspend the borrowing limit. The bill will proceed to the Senate, where Republican lawmakers are expected to vote it down, as they have with two previous Democratic efforts to raise the debt ceiling.
Coverage for this event has ended.