President Joe Biden’s agenda faced a key test on Thursday among fellow Democrats as the House of Representatives prepared a vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that progressives have threatened to block unless there is also a deal on a larger social spending plan. Congress earlier on Thursday wrestled Washington back from the brink of a government shutdown by voting to continue funding the government through Dec. 3. Biden signed the measure before funding was to run out at midnight.
“There’s so much more to do. But the passage of this bill reminds us that bipartisan work is possible and it gives us time to pass longer-term funding to keep our government running and delivering for the American people,” Biden said in a statement. The House approved the measure in a bipartisan 254-175 vote, hours after it passed the Senate by 65-35.
With that hurdle overcome, Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi scrambled to piece together a vote to go forward with an infrastructure plan that has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support. The two spoke on the phone on Thursday afternoon about the situation, a source familiar with the call said.
When reporters asked No. 2 House Democrat Steny Hoyer if he was confident that bill would pass in a Thursday vote, he had a one-word reply: “Nope.” Representative Josh Gottheimer, a leading moderate Democrat, could not say when the House would vote on the infrastructure bill, but told reporters: “We’re going to get the votes. We’re going to bring this home.”
Faced with increasingly stiff odds of passing their $3.5 trillion social spending proposal, Biden and his aides are trying to find out what narrower proposal could unite an ideologically fractured Democratic caucus of lawmakers, according to people familiar with the matter. Lawmakers on the party’s left flank have said they will not vote for the infrastructure bill unless they feel certain their priorities will be reflected in the social spending bill.
Source: ndianexpress
In other news – Actress Pearl Thusi Questions Alert Level 1 Move
Actress and TV presenter Pearl Thusi took to Twitter to express how she feels about the country’s move to lockdown level one.
Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the adjusted level one of lockdown. This simply means that the lockdown regulations have been eased. Learn more
