Nancy Pelosi backs off Monday vote on bipartisan $1.2T infrastructure bill – New York Post

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​House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday backed off her pledge to bring the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill up for a vote on Monday, saying she won’t do it if the votes aren’t there.

“I’m never bringing to the floor a bill that doesn’t have the votes,” Pelosi said on ABC News’ “This Week.”

“You cannot choose the date. You have to go when you have the votes in a reasonable time, and we will,” she said.

But the California Democrat ​insisted that “we’re going to pass the bill this week.”

Pelosi last Friday said she would bring the measure up for a floor vote on Monday under pressure from moderate Democrats who have tied its fate to the sweeping $3.5 trillion spending plan.

Both are key parts of President Biden’s agenda.

Moderates want the bipartisan measure to pass first, but progressive Democrats are pushing for a vote ​first ​on the $3.5 trillion spending legislation that contains funding for the climate, family leave​, education and expansion of the social safety net​.

Nancy Pelosi.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained she is pushing back that pledge because “I’m never bringing to the floor a bill that doesn’t have the votes.”
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

“In order to move forward, we have to build consensus,” Pelosi said.

She said it’s “self-evident” that the price tag for the spending plan will come in under $3.5 trillion.

“Yeah, that seems self-evident. That seems self-evident,” she told host George Stephanopoulos.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds a rally.
Moderates want the bipartisan measure to pass first, but progressive Democrats are pushing for a vote ​first ​on the $3.5 trillion spending legislation.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

“I think even those who want a smaller number support the vision of the president,” she said.​ “Obviously with negotiations there will have to be some changes with that, the sooner the better so that we can build our consensus to go forward, and we will do that,” ​Pelosi said​.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, confirmed during an appearance on CNN that the votes aren’t there for the bipartisan​ deal.

“I don’t believe there will be a vote,” Jayapal said​ on “State of the Union.” “The ​s​peaker is an incredibly good vote counter, and she knows exactly where her caucus stands, and we’ve been really clear on that.”  

Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
“Everybody in the Senate, everybody in the House, has to agree to it,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal revealed about the spending bill.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

“This is a pre-conference bill, which means everybody, everybody in the Senate, everybody in the House, has to agree to it,” Jayapal ​added.​

She said the “vast majority of the Democratic caucus” is behind Biden’s “Build Back Better” proposals, but wants the Senate to engage with the House. ​​

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) called on the Democrats in the House to pass the infrastructure bill first, saying the two pieces of legislation are separate. 

Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer called on the Democrats in the House to pass the infrastructure bill first, before moving on to spending legislation.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

​”You’ve got the infrastructure, a historic once-in-a-century [bill]​. ​… There’s no reason why we shouldn’t pass that right away and get those shovels in the ground​,” Gottheimer, the co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, said during an appearance on CNN. 

​​The $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan passed the Senate ​in August by a 69-30 vote. ​

Getty Images

The House ​Budget Committee on Saturday approved advancing the $3.5 trillion plan to a floor vote.

All of the 16 Republicans on the panel voted against it.  ​

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/09/26/pelosi-backs-off-vote-on-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill/

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