Civic Register
| 10.2.21
Moderate & Progressive Democrats Feud After Infrastructure Vote Postponed Amid Reconciliation Negotiations
Should the bipartisan infrastructure vote have been delayed?
What’s the story?
- The infighting between moderate and progressive House Democrats has continued in the wake of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) canceling a vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill because the disparate wings of her party haven’t reached a deal on the scope of their “social infrastructure” spending plan.
- Pelosi had pledged to moderates that she would bring the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed the Senate 69-30 and extended a number of expiring surface transportation programs. The speaker backtracked and canceled the vote after a progressive revolt over unresolved reconciliation talks threatened to leave her without the votes needed to pass the infrastructure bill. The cancellation led to an authorization lapse for several programs and about 3,700 Dept. of Transportation workers being temporarily furloughed.
- Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and Problem Solvers Caucus who has been a leading moderate in the House’s negotiations, released a statement which said it’s “deeply regrettable that Speaker Pelosi breached her firm, public commitment” to hold the vote. He also took issue with progressives’ power play, saying “a small far left faction of the House of Representatives undermined that agreement and blocked a critical vote on the President’s historic bipartisan infrastructure bill.”
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) countered Gottheimer’s statement on Twitter where she defended Pelosi’s decision to side with progressives:
“The Speaker didn’t break any promises. The arbitrary date 9 people insisted on was in the [August] rule vote to proceed on a $3.5T bill. That bound $3.5T [with] Sept. date. Challenging $3.5 also challenged their date. That’s ok! Right > rushed. We can still Build Back Better… together!”
- Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), a co-chair of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, said in a statement that she is “profoundly disappointed and disillusioned by this process” and added:
“The Speaker delayed the vote because some of my Democratic colleagues, in a misguided effort to gain ‘leverage’ over their fellow Democrats in the negotiations on the separate Build Back Better Act, have threatened to vote against a very good infrastructure bill. I hope my colleagues will reconsider their approach. Whether they do or not, all members of the House should be required to cast a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and to accept the consequences of that vote.”
- Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) insisted that progressives likely “need a vote” on a reconciliation bill before voting for the bipartisan infrastructure bill but also left the door open to being persuaded if centrist Democrats can provide assurances about reconciliation in some other way:
“We would like to have a vote in the Senate. Now, I will just say that if there’s some other assurance that is really… ironclad … I’m open to listening. There’s going to have to be something pretty strong, and we’re still saying it’s a vote.”
- Whenever leadership brings the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation bill to the floor, they will need near-unanimous support from Democratic lawmakers for passage given that they can only afford three “nay” votes from their caucus.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Gottheimer: New Jersey National Guard photo by Mark Olsen via Flickr / Creative Commons | Ocasio-Cortez: NRKbeta via Flickr / Creative Commons)
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Clean energy program likely to be dropped because of Manchin's objections Neanderthals go back to your caves and keep digging for coal! There is no planet B
no - if you have a bill, you either vote on it or don't. If it is dependent on another bill then you are admitting it isn't complete in which case the two bills should be redone, combining in to one bill. The bipartisan bill was negotiated to be the only one. If it is dependent on the other then the negotiations were a sham and not done honestly.
One of the bi-partisan infrastructure bill ‘features’ is to use ‘interest rate averaging’ as a basis for determining COLA adjustments for this years adjustment to defined benefit retirement plans. There is a legal standard for determining these adjustments for all federal benefits which is largely adapted by other retirement plans. I have not been able to find what exactly this means, but I suspect it is a way to lower or defer COLA benefits for Social Security recipients and everyone else who may be tied to a defined benefit retirement plan. … … … There was a reference to doing this as was done for some past adjustment and there is a provision in the Senate Bill that the House cannot renegotiate the bi-partisan infrastructure’s provisions. I have been hoping to see some details on what interest rate averaging means in this context, and am a little surprised that no legislators have questioned this. I suspect it is a way to reduce Social Security increases but really have no details. … … … The way that COLA’s are currently calculated is by looking at the average of the CPI-W index over the months of July, August and September and comparing that average to the highest average for prior years (normally, the last prior year) and using the percentage difference to set the COLA. Based on the indices for July and August of this year that adjustment is just under 6%, the September index has not yet been published but if it is similar to July and August, the normal calculation would be just under 6%. For people living on Social Security benefits alone, these funds are critical especially since many seniors are saddled with high prescription drug and medical co-pays which often forces them to choose between eating or treating their conditions. … … … I am waiting for the September CPI-W to be published and how much the standard means of calculating COLA’s differs from whatever is officially announced. … … … The problem with most legislation touched by the Republican Faction is often hidden in what at first sight seems to be inconsequential details by referencing some or other other regulation and giving the provisions some benign sounding title. I am a little worried about this one but have had some difficulty finding requisite details.
Good morning and thanks for the “heads up,” jimK! Have a treasured day! 😊❤️😊❤️
If BOTH of the bills do not pass as Biden wants them there will be hell to pay. I haven’t actively campaigned for many years but if these bills do not pass I will be out in force AGAINST Florida Republicans!!!
Joe Manchin, the old-school coal baron, attempts to pass off his yacht as a meagre houseboat, even incorporating some of John Denver's lyrics, and pretends to be one of the people. Please, Mr. Manchin, just sail that thing back to West Virginia, and turn the Senate over to somebody who legitimately cares. Feel free to take Kyrsten Sinema with you.
It's about time everyone in Congress regardless of party or left or right leaning work together. What has happened to concept you are serving your citizen's and not personal agenda. When have your forgot treating each other with respect.
Permanently delay it...in fact cancel it. 94% of the Infrastructure bill has nothing to do with infrastructure projects. It's all pork and bullshit. As usual. What we need is TERM LIMITS.
Here are the latest Coronavirus figures since January 20th at noontime to present 258 days. Cases 19,256,911 new cases yesterday 49,364. Deaths 431,989 new deaths yesterday 356.
I do not want the fake Infrastructure Bill to pass but clearly without the votes it should die and I hope it never gets the votes needed.
The oil spill offshore of Huntington Beach was due to a ship at anchor because of the container ship unloading back-up at Southern California Ports. The unloading back-up of about 70 containers ships now at anchor is a man-made crisis due to excessive COVID restrictions. The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed that a ship's anchor caused to foot-long gash in the oil pipeline from an offshore oil platform. The port container-unloading backup may be due to the fact that China maintains control over the port facilities by some arrangement that wreaks of National Security issues if true. There are so many more ships at anchor offshore there waiting to unload to the unloading work slow-down ostensibly causing supply chain backlogs at every container port in the U.S. Congress may need to investigate this oil spill in light of the man-made back-up of imported goods entering the U.S. Ports. The supply chain backlogs will get worse before improving. Investigation needs to look at the underlying causes of the unloading back-ups.
Since the Progressives aren't happy with what has been deleted from the Bill, they won't vote for it as it is. I can't blame the progressives, since the original Bill covered so many things that have been ignored too long! The Progressives and the Moderate Democrats need to meet together and discuss this, and iron out their objections. We finally have the chance to bring this country up to date, and it's sad that the Democrats can't get this done!!!
Time is being wasted. Do they know that China is setting it's guns at Taiwan? Do they have any idea the position they are putting us in while they argue moot points. We are so behind because of these people. We are going to need to unseat and replace them do to inactivity.
Absolutely delay it forever. They are putting a larger burden on America it will last for generations. This administration has no idea on how to take care of finances. Joe Biden keeps saying everything is already paid for, it will not cost the taxpayers any money.? Does he really think were this stupid. Nothing is for free, He is driving up inflation to a point where it will damage the lives of the American people, who pay their taxes. There is no corporation that’s going to pay more taxes it will filter down to the American people and what they buy. How many American people you know who are getting things for free? I’ve never gotten anything for free. I’ve had to work. Now that we are opening up our borders and letting everybody come in millions of people. How do you say expect the American people to pay for their housing their food their clothes and everything that he wants to give them for free.? Another burden on American citizens. And they are working very hard to turn us into a socialized government. Extremely unhappy
Please stand strong! we need the BBB bill and we need voting rights and police reform. I am not sure why the Democrats keep coddling the republicans and the 2 lawmakers in the senate that call themselves democrats. I'm thrilled to see the progressive caucus hold the line. We voted for this WH and we need everyone to fight for his agenda!! We also need more judges in the Supreme Court. I say 20 more!!!!
The democrats need to get their act together and the two senator causing problems need to realize that lobbies hurt the country and republicans act in bad faith
kyrsten sinema - a Democrat is harassed by a non-citizen / illegal in a bathroom.. This is not only unsafe, but it is how the left Dems work. Intimidation, violence using illegals.. Your activities are known to all.
Do not let Progressives hold the bipartisan bill hostage, bring it to a vote by itself ahead of Progressive wishlist.
Save the nation by killing the bill! What a nightmare! Who do the Democrats think they are kidding when they claim it will be paid for but no cost anyone making under $400,000 a year? There is no way and the more we find out what is in the bills we know t will cost every American plenty including our children and our children's children. Jobs will go away when they tax corporations who will move overseas and take the jobs away from American workers!!! Inflation is already a key factor and isn't getting any better under this plan! Kill the bill & save the nation!
Should the vote have been delayed? Of course! Now we finally get the reporting (with the disingenuous headlines) that exposes the agendas of ALL those not supporting the starting point of the Biden's Build Back Better agenda: With Biden’s Agenda in the Balance, Lobbying Kicks Into High Gear https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/us/politics/biden-lobbying-congress.html? Do you see what we are up against?