Pelosi seeks compromise as progressives and moderates clash over infrastructure priorities
Washington DC – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is taking steps to address divisions within her own party as progressive and moderate Democrats quarrel over infrastructure priorities.
According to the Associated Press, Pelosi has suggested doing an initial vote on both the $3.5-trillion Democratic budget blueprint and the $1.2-trillion bipartisan infrastructure package at the same time.
The California Democrat put forward the idea as a means of healing divisions within her own party over infrastructure spending and maintaining the Democratic unity required to pass priority legislation.
She made the announcement in a Sunday letter, issued in response to nine moderate Democrats demanding quick passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill before a vote on the larger budget blueprint, already approved in the Senate.
But Pelosi had already promised members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus that she would not put the bipartisan bill to a vote until the larger, $3.5-trillion bill was passed.
Despite moderate attempts to accelerate the bipartisan bill's passage, progressive members of Congress are sticking to their guns. They say they will not vote for the smaller bill until their priorities of expanding social programs and taking bold steps toward climate action are addressed.
Nevertheless, the nine moderates are enough to throw a wrench in things because of how evenly the House is divided. Due to that fact, it was unclear if Pelosi would stick to her promise to progressives.
But when asked on Sunday if she was reconsidering holding off on the bipartisan infrastructure vote, Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said, "There’s no change in her position."
More likely than not, Pelosi's strategy of holding an initial vote on both plans at the same time is just a means of temporarily putting off the inevitable showdown after House members return from recess on August 23.
Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo