As divides between Democratic moderates and progressives continue to threaten the passage of the infrastructure and budget bills, Democratic leaders insist that the two pivotal …
As divides between Democratic moderates and progressives continue to threaten the passage of the infrastructure and budget bills, Democratic leaders insist that the two pivotal pieces of legislation will pass. On Friday, President Joe Biden went to the House to negotiate between the two wings. Moderates have demanded a swift passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which passed through the Senate by a bipartisan vote. Progressives have demanded that the much more partisan $3.5 trillion budget bill be passed before the House even considers the infrastructure bill. Each group has threatened to tank the priorities of the other if their demands go unmet, and each controls enough votes to follow through on these threats. In the Senate, divisions persist as well. Recently, moderate Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) reiterated their opposition to the budget bill, which cannot pass without their support. Biden, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with Manchin, Sinema, and other moderates, is focusing his efforts on the House, which is the first hurdle the legislation must overcome. One Democratic congressman who supports the reconciliation bill, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), indicated on Friday that he and other congressmen were uncertain about what the situation. “I don’t think anyone knows what’s going on,” Crow said. Democratic leaders have been deeply involved in negotiations with the two wings, but have been tight-lipped on the content of those negotiations. Asked whether the infrastructure bill could pass, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), deputy whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said during a Sept.29 appearance on MSNBC, “Right now, it doesn’t look like it.
