Pelosi, Sanders brace for Democratic upheaval on Biden’s agenda



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“You have 50 caucus members, all of whom have different perspectives and come from different states with different needs. And my job is going to be to try and fix that problem, ”Sanders said.

The episodes highlight tensions within the Democratic Party as President Joe Biden’s agenda hesitantly moves forward. The party will sink or swim with the Democrats’ two-pronged plan to spend $ 550 billion in new money on physical infrastructure, then top it off with its own colossal spending bill on social programs, which will require passage of the 50 Democratic votes. the Senate.

But there are growing concerns that the complex proposal could quickly turn into a pile-up of 10 cars.

Sanders’ concern is just one part of the multi-faceted internal conflict within the Democratic Party as he rallies around Biden’s $ 4 trillion domestic spending plan. Once the Senate passes the bipartisan infrastructure plan, a new conflict will immediately replace it: How long should the House wait for its Democrats-only bill to arrive before the pressure becomes too much to bear ?

While progressives praise Pelosi and publicly threaten to defeat the bipartisan bill if she gives in, moderates are already urging the president to lift her blockade of the upper house infrastructure deal. It is a conflict that will test the strength of relations between the House of Democrats and the Senate, with small majorities spread across a broad ideological spectrum. And there is always the risk that the longer the process drags on, the more likely one or both of the tracks will collapse.

“Strike while the iron is hot,” said Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), One of dozens of House centrists who have pushed for swift action on the Senate deal across the country. Capitol. “If you get a deal, and if it’s big money, don’t let it sit. He does not age well.

Some of that anxiety surfaced this week as Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) angered progressives with his concerns over the $ 3.5 trillion price tag of the Democrats’ Social Programs Bill, even as the Senate prepares to send out a bipartisan infrastructure bill it helped negotiate in the House. She is one of many moderates in both chambers with an inordinate ability to shrink the bundle in the weeks to come. This bill can be passed without GOP support in the Senate at 50-50, but it would need democratic unity at the upper house level.

And after the Senate’s 50 Democrats voted to move forward on the bipartisan package on Wednesday, other Democrats are ready for “a little more definition of the level of cohesion we’re going to have as a caucus,” he said. said Sen. Chris Murphy (D- Connecticut.).

Big bills always show tensions between the houses of Congress. But given the Democrats’ ideological divisions and narrow margins, coordinating these two packages is an unusually delicate and cumbersome task.

“All [Sinema] did is to make sure we don’t have enough confidence unless they both move together, ”said senior progressive rep Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). “We have been very clear and Nancy Pelosi has been very clear on this.”

And although Pelosi insisted again this week, the infrastructure bill is not going anywhere until she has the $ 3.5 trillion top-up spending bill for the party, the Centrists are already pressuring the California Democrat to move the Biden infrastructure deal forward as quickly as he can.

In addition to twisting the hand of moderate Democrats, Republicans accused Pelosi of holding the bill “hostage” to the bigger package that will spend billions of dollars and raise taxes for the rich.

Meanwhile, senators from the progressive wing of the party are urging their colleagues in the House to stand firm.

“It would be nice if we didn’t need a backstop, that in the Senate we had our own buy-in to our priorities among Democrats. But it’s there, ”said Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). ” I do say. Thanks Nancy. “

The House is expected to be suspended for seven weeks from Friday, although members expect they will have to return for a procedural vote in order to implement the Democrats-only spending plan. And Pelosi and his senior deputy, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Have said little in private meetings this week about a potential timeline for the House to return from recess to move Senate legislation, qualifying only the situation of “fluid”, according to the people present in the room.

In the House, there has been a shaky deal between the two divergent factions of Democrats as they wait for details across Capitol Hill on the bipartisan level. But as soon as the Senate passes this bipartisan deal, the moderates expect a full throttle push for a quick vote.

Hours after announcing their bipartisan infrastructure deal, Senate negotiators Joe Manchin (DW.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) And Bill Cassidy (R-La.) Privately briefed their counterparts from the House, a bipartisan group of about four a dozen moderates called the Problem Solvers Caucus.

The two factions agreed that the main obstacle to investing $ 550 billion in new spending in roads, bridges and broadband was the House.

Democrats in the Problem Solver Caucus are already increasingly asking Pelosi to change his tactics. And privately, some are discussing whether to band together to block a budget vote – block the Democratic-only spending bill – until they get what they want.

“I think we’ve been pretty clear. We want to make the bipartisan bill first, ”said Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), When asked if moderates would be willing to block a budget vote to pressure leaders Democrats on the deal with the Senate. “Let’s take home something for the summer that people will be proud of.

Progressives, however, are certain that Pelosi will not break his promise. And they say that even if she tried, the Progressive Congressional Caucus, made up of about 100 members, could derail the Senate measure.

“We currently do not have the voices to move the bipartisan bill forward, unless the reconciliation happens at the same time. And the speaker obviously knows it, ”said Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Who is the main scrutineer of the left caucus.

Pelosi’s headache will only grow later this week when his House margin shrinks by one more seat. Once the GOP winner in this week’s Texas race sits down, House Democrats can only lose three Democrats on a single floor vote.

Both in public and in private, Pelosi has not deviated from her position that she will only put the Senate bipartisan deal on the floor once the Senate passes the Line’s sprawling spending plan. left.

But there is faint hope in some corners of the caucus that Pelosi can clarify his position to advance a very popular priority for Biden.

“I don’t know if she issued an ultimatum on this,” Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) Said. “I know she has indicated what her preferences are, but I think she has a good idea that the American people really want to see, finally, a real infrastructure bill.”

A spokesperson then clarified that Cartwright supported the speaker’s position.

Marianne LeVine contributed to this report.

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