House Again Punts on Infrastructure Vote

While last week began with optimism that a deal on infrastructure and a reconciliation framework was close, negotiations broke down and Congress left for the week without a vote on either the infrastructure bill or the reconciliation package. Supporters of a deal were heartened when President Biden delayed his international trip for a few hours to make a special appearance at a Democratic Caucus meeting to presumably pitch his legislative agenda and take a win to the upcoming climate conference in Scotland.

The failure to pass the broadly bipartisan infrastructure package is becoming a significant political issue. Last week, Democratic Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC) suggested that the inability to move President Biden’s legislative agenda may threaten Democrats’ 2022 midterm hopes. The Virginia governor’s race is viewed as a referendum on Democrats ability to govern as well as a key preview of the upcoming midterms and major Democratic donors are threatening to withhold support in the upcoming midterms without passage of the key legislation.

On Monday evening, however, it appeared that this week the House may once again attempt to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chair of the House Progressive Caucus, indicated that progressives were prepared to support both the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the reconciliation package without specific policy assurances from Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Sinema (D-AZ), who are key to the package’s success in the Senate.

For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.