Pelosi extends infrastructure bill deadline after progressives sink vote: LIVE UPDATES
The vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill was delayed in the House on Friday after the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus refused to back it until the separate reconciliation bill -- packed with left-wing agenda items on issues like the social safety net and tackling climate change -- was passed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi extended the deadline for a vote, saying it should now be passed well before Oct. 31.
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House Minority Whip Steve Scalise told "Sunday Morning Futures" that Democrats are "tying the infrastructure package hostage" to the reconciliation bill and argued that linking the two "would devastate America's economy."
On Saturday President Biden told reporters that "everybody is frustrated" after two massive pieces of legislation stalled in Congress, as well as a debt limit increase, amid infighting among a divided Democratic caucus.
Sen. Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz., sidestepped stalled infrastructure talks in Washington D.C. to see her foot doctor and host a high-priced fundraiser at a pricey Phoenix resort Saturday.
Also at the fundraiser? Protestors, according to FOX 10 Phoenix."We're here to find our senator," Ruth Shea, a protestor, told a station photographer. "Senator Sinema is a clown of Arizona who's in the Royal Palms, meeting with fundraiser people, when she's supposed to be back in DC, voting on bills, to make America better."
Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told "Fox Report" he found a few "ashen" Democrats in the House elevators following the failure to vote on President Biden's infrastructure plan, which he called a "Trojan horse."
The infrastructure measure passed the Senate in August, but the House hasn't had as much luck, facing infighting between progressives and moderates over Biden's massive $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package. The far-left wing of the Democratic caucus, which is in favor of the spending package, refused to back the former without agreement on the latter.
Budd called the infrastructure bill "a Trojan horse to get us more socialism," suggesting Biden had misled when he campaigned as a moderate during the 2020 presidential election.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Saturday that the bipartisan infrastructure vote would be delayed until the end of October.
"There is an October 31st Surface Transportation Authorization deadline, after last night’s passage of a critical 30-day extension. We must pass [Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework] well before then – the sooner the better, to get the jobs out there," she said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seemingly attacked Democratic moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on Saturday when she said there isn’t "anything maverick, innovative, or renegade about being a politician that works with corporate lobbyists to protect the rich, short-shrift working families, and preserve the status quo. It’s literally one the most conventional ways to navigate politics."
A report recently said that Sinema would like to be seen as a 'maverick' like the late Sen. John McCain.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday accused Democratic leadership of "letting the radical left run Capitol Hill" after a bipartisan infrastructure bill stalled in the House amid demands from the far-left wing of the Democratic caucus that a $3.5 trillion spending package be passed first.
"Democratic leaders are letting the radical left run Capitol Hill," McConnell said in a statement.
"Socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders rallied against the Administration’s infrastructure bill and defeated it. With Americans already suffering the worst inflation in 30 years, Democrats have taken our roads, bridges, ports, airports, and waterways hostage to ram through an historically reckless taxing and spending spree that would hurt families and help China."
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