House Democrats set 'goal' to vote on infrastructure, social spending package next week
By Mike Lillis and Scott Wong - 09/24/21 11:15 AM EDT
House Democrats are hoping to vote next week on both facets of President Biden's far-reaching domestic agenda: a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a much larger social benefits package, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Friday.
"That's the plan," Pelosi said as she emerged from a leadership meeting in her Capitol office.
In a letter to Democrats distributed moments later, the Speaker stopped just short of guaranteeing both votes next week but laid out the steps "as we move forward to pass two jobs bills next week."
The strategy is intended to break the stubborn impasse between the warring factions of the House Democratic Caucus by meeting the demands of both moderates — who have insisted on a standalone infrastructure vote by Monday — and liberals, who were poised to sink the public works bill unless the larger package of "family" benefits was passed in tandem.
Because of internal disagreements over the size and scope of Biden's proposed $3.5 trillion social spending bill, there were widespread expectations that the package would not be ready to hit the floor of either chamber until next month.
Yet Pelosi and House Democratic leaders are racing to expedite the process.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/573809-house-dems-set-goal-to-vote-on-infrastructure-and-social-spending-package-next
