Clyburn says there is a ‘possible’ infrastructure vote that could be delayed

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“There is always a possibility that the vote will be delayed, but the question is, ‘Are we going to work towards our goal of September 27?’ Yes, we are going to work hard to achieve that goal, and sometimes you kind of have to stop the clock to reach the goal. We will do whatever it takes to get there, ”Clyburn, the third House Democrat, told Jake Tapper from CNN on “State of the Union”.

The South Carolina Democrat’s comments come nearly a month after the House voted on a rule ordering the House to pass the bipartisan $ 1,000 billion bill by September 27. The move represented a victory for moderates, who pushed to vote first on this bill ahead of the Democrats’ sweeping economic spending program. This $ 3.5 trillion package, which President Joe Biden has made a signature agenda item for, is designed to extend the social safety net – and its price has drawn reservations from several Senate Democrats, potentially jeopardizing his stint in a tightly divided Congress. It is a top priority for progressives, who have threatened to vote against the bipartisan bill until it gets a vote.

In order to satisfy her caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a commitment from the start not to move the bipartisan infrastructure bill until the House has completed its more important proposal, which, according to Republicans, allowed them to argue that the two bills, which are separate proposals, are inextricably linked. With only a three-vote margin, Pelosi had to be cautious in securing moderate and progressive votes on both packages and promised moderates that she would introduce the bipartisan bill by September 27 at the latest.

House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth on Sunday appeared optimistic that the vote would still take place before the Sept. 27 deadline, saying Pelosi may delay sending President Joe Biden’s office for his signature if the larger expenditure envelope has not yet been presented.

“The only answer I can give you is that it is the current plan to vote on the infrastructure bill on September 27,” Yarmuth told Fox News on Sunday when asked when the two separate bills had to be brought forward. But the president “can hold onto this bill for a while,” the Kentucky Democrat said, “so there is some flexibility in how we link the two terms.”

Yarmuth said the Democrats’ massive economic bill will likely be passed after September 27.

“I would say we’re probably going to go past September 27. At the start of October that would be my best guess,” he said.

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