Politico by RACHAEL BADE and RYAN LIZZA 10/2/2021
“The fact that the president came to the Hill and whipped against his own bill is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.”
That late-night observation was just one of many we heard from frustrated lawmakers and senior aides stunned by what happened in the House on Friday.
— What senior Dems thought was going to happen: President JOE BIDEN was coming to the Hill to support Speaker NANCY PELOSI’s efforts to rally the party behind his historic $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan ahead of a Friday vote.
— What ended up happening instead: Biden told them he wanted to hold off on BIF until there was a reconciliation deal — even if that means delaying the vote for several more days or even weeks.
Biden’s move put Pelosi in a tough spot. She’d promised House moderates a vote on BIF this week, but the president himself blew up that timeframe — essentially forcing Pelosi to choose between breaking her promise and defying her president.
BUT HERE’S WHERE THINGS GET REALLY INTERESTING: Some progressive Democrats suggested to their colleagues that the White House — at its most senior levels — gave them a green light to tank the BIF vote if Pelosi went ahead with it, we’re told from three congressional sources.
More:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/10/02/the-strangest-thing-ive-ever-seen-494555
