[ad_1]
After President Biden met with House Democrats, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the president was “passionate” about passing the two bills.
Asked about the potential timing of the vote, Hoyer said: “We’ll talk about it now,” adding that he was heading for a leadership meeting.
When asked if he thought there would be a vote on infrastructure today, Hoyer replied, “It could be. “
“I ended up expecting things; I take them as they come, “he added.
As they left the meeting with Biden, several lawmakers said the president informed them that the highest number they were likely to agree on was between $ 1.9 trillion and around $ 2 trillion. .
Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar said that was the range Biden had given the group and asked them to find common ground within that number.
Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from New Jersey, said that although progressives managed to delay the vote this week, everyone agreed the figure was not going to be as high as $ 3.5 trillion was they wanted to pass the bill.
Meanwhile, as progressive lawmakers walked into their own meeting on Capitol Hill, staff members retrieved their phones.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, told reporters on Friday that Progressive Democrats are going to have to cut the $ 3.5 trillion social and climate policy package in their negotiations with moderate Democrats.
“It’s going to be tough,†she said.
Jayapal, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Biden was “very clear” that the package and the bipartisan infrastructure bill are “tied together.” Jayapal said that getting the infrastructure bill passed requires agreement on the so-called Build Back Better plan.
“It has been very clear that the two are related,†Jayapal said. “But we’ve got to get this reconciliation bill.… And you know, it’s going to be tough. We’re going to have to lower our numbers, and we’re going to have to do this work. So we’re going to get down to business and see what we can. to do.
“There was no timetable,” she added.
Jayapal said the House will not vote on bipartisan infrastructure tonight or this weekend.
[ad_2]
