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Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) speaks with reporters following a vote to keep the federal government open until early December outside the United States Capitol on September 30, 2021.
Photo:
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Josh Gottheimer was certain the House would vote on Thursday to pass the Senate Public Works Bill, as President Nancy Pelosi had promised. What certainty? “1,000 percent,” the New Jersey congressman told CNN.
By the end of Thursday, with no votes looming, Mr Gottheimer was still convinced that a vote on Friday would save the day. “It is not finished !” he tweeted. “This is just a long legislative day – we are literally not adjourning. Negotiations are still ongoing and we continue to work. Like I said earlier: take Gatorade and Red Bull. “
It wasn’t the only bull he drank. Friday came and left without a vote.
Mr Gottheimer had to utter a public lament that “it is deeply regrettable that President Pelosi has violated her firm and public commitment to members of Congress and the American people to hold a vote and pass the bipartisan bill on infrastructure once a century. by September 27 at the latest. He added that “we cannot let this small far left faction” destroy “the president’s agenda”.
To adapt Bruce Willis in “Die Hard”, welcome to the Democratic Party, mate. The progressive left is not just “a small faction”. It is the dominant faction, as proved on Friday. Unlike Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Biden also doesn’t seem to think the left is destroying his program. He paid a special visit to Capitol Hill on Friday and told Democrats he was fine without a vote on infrastructure. He derailed the vote on his bipartisan bill by tying it to the multibillion-dollar partisan reconciliation bill.
Mr. Gottheimer’s humiliation was simply the most public among moderate Liberals in the House, who made the mistake of trusting the President. These swing-district members may have given Democrats their narrow majority in the House in 2020, but when it comes to governing they’re supposed to be quiet and hail the Left’s agenda.
Mr Biden’s decision to formally tie the infrastructure bill to the reconciliation bill is also expected to embarrass the Chamber of Commerce, which approved these moderates in 2020 to have some influence in House councils. Instead, the House has given Ms Pelosi the majority she needs to pass the Left’s agenda. Senate Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill also look like they’ve been taken for a ride.
On Saturday, Ms Pelosi set a new deadline of the end of October for a vote on infrastructure. She hopes it will be long enough to find an agreement between the Progressives and the Senses. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema on the giant welfare bill.
If Mr. Gottheimer and the House moderates want to retain any influence, let alone political respect, they will make their own demands for reconciliation. But they probably won’t, as usual.
Wonder Land: “We have three things to do,” says Joe Biden. “The debt ceiling, the resolution continues and the two laws. We do it, the country will be in great shape.” Images: Disney via Everett Collection / Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly
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Published in the print edition of October 4, 2021.
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