US House of Representatives expected to vote on $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill
House Democrats are expected to vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill today following a stalemate between progressive and moderate Democrats.
Voting may be pushed back over continued disagreements, noted Speaker Pelosi in a letter to colleagues—the Progressive Caucus has refused to vote on the legislation unless a separate $3.5 trillion social policy bill is passed by the Senate.
The bill, the largest investment in infrastructure in a decade, will address deteriorating roads and bridges, fund climate change research and build broadband infrastructure. However, the bipartisan bill passed in the Senate is less than a quarter the size of the original bill proposed by President Biden in March and no longer includes tax credits, funds for housing and schools, R&D or manufacturing.
Both Republican and Democratic Senators have praised the achievement of the infrastructure bill and acknowledged its role in healing political divisions. However, the impasse in the House signals continued disunity.
With US government funding set to lapse on October 1, and Republicans expected to block a stopgap spending bill in the Senate, the Progressive Caucus may have to lower the funding expectations for social policy reform to find a compromise that salvages the infrastructure bill and secures government funding.
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