President Joe Biden will be making his way to Capitol Hill Thursday to meet with the Democratic caucus in an effort to push for a vote on infrastructure legislation before leaving for Europe. He should arrive on Capitol Hill around 9 a.m. Thursday. The trip comes amid Democratic infighting over the infrastructure legislation, which the progressive wing of the party has been objecting to until members can see bill language for the party’s massive social spending program.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seemed confident that an agreement would be reached, announcing in a letter to Democrats that she was asking the House Rules Committee to hold a hearing Thursday to “advance this spectacular agenda For The People.”
“As we have insisted, we are close to agreement on the priorities and the top line of the legislation, which can and must pass the House and Senate,” Pelosi said in the letter. “At the same time, we are facing a crucial deadline for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework to pass.
But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., one of the most progressive members of the party, doubled down on her stance against the infrastructure legislation as is.
“I don’t see how ethically I can vote to increase U.S. climate emissions,” Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday, adding that a “framework” of Biden’s plan isn’t enough. “We have had a framework for six months. We need text.”
Unlike the social spending bill, the infrastructure legislation is completed and ready for a vote but progressives within the party have said they want to bundle both pieces of legislation which would ensure their priorities are included in the spending bill. Moderate Democrats are hoping that Biden can pressure progressives within the party to accept the framework Thursday so that a vote can be held this week on the infrastructure bill, which would also give Biden a legislative victory as he heads to the climate summit in Scotland.
However, some staffers on Capitol Hill say the two sides still aren’t close to an agreement.
“Not sure if she really thinks she can will this thing through, but the votes are not there,” a progressive aide said.
