The Afghanistan fiasco has put a major Biden initiative on life support: the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. This is the so-called human infrastructure bill that is pretty much a lefty goodie bag. No, it is—it’s a Happy Meal of communism. This bill, plus the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure package is about to be blown up as Democrats’ intraparty warfare has become increasingly ugly. They don’t have the votes to advance these packages right now. Senate Republicans and maybe some House GOP members might be persuaded on the bipartisan bill, even though it’s not paid for and adds $256 billion in deficit spending every year for the next eight years, but the $3.5 trillion boondoggle is a hard ‘no.’ Yet, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) is also a solid nay vote on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill which means it’s dead in the water right now. Democrats cannot lose a single vote.
To make matters worse, there are nine moderate House Democrats who want to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure deal first. That’s not going to happen according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. As a result, these nine are not voting for the $3.5 trillion lefty boondoggle package. No one is caving. Everyone has entrenched themselves. They’re going to reconvene on these packages at noon today, but some House Democrats are starting to be threatened. They’re being warned of political ruin and having their districts be erased when the new maps are drawn. As you know, the Democrats only have a four-seat majority in the House. Throughout the night, congressional reporters noted how both sides were sticking to their guns and how it could take a while. Well, around midnight, everyone tapped out:
You normally don’t have to do this if a bill is as popular as Biden and Pelosi have been telling us it is. https://t.co/JeNctg12Lm
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) August 24, 2021
Per one GOP source, one of the 9 moderate Dems told GOP members if they don't support the budget there are threats to ruin his district during the redistricting process and fire a member’s relative that works at the WH. Bill Clinton also called to pressure them to support it.
— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) August 23, 2021
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Seems like things have taken a turn downward.
— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) August 24, 2021
We’re now hearing leadership could pull the plug on talks tonight.
It’s midnight and deal still not done. Members are tired and angry.
B) The House could come back into session later tonight to pass the rule/deem and pass. But the House is in recess subject to the call of the chair until there’s a deal. This could go on a while
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) August 24, 2021
Pelosi just told us that the house will be in at noon to consider the rule for budget and infrastructure
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) August 24, 2021
I asked her if she’ll have a date certain for an infrastructure vote and she said, “we’ll see tomorrow, won’t we now?
The Washington Times has more on the drama in a lengthy piece. There is another riot on the Hill, folks—it’s only a legislative one and it pretty much involves mostly Democrats trying to stab each other in the back (via Washington Times):
Led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, the moderate Democrats were refusing to support advancing the package, which is set to pass along party lines.
Instead, they argued that the House should take up Mr. Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal, which passed earlier this month with a large bipartisan margin.
“Like the rest of America, we have waited far too long for legislation that will actually fix our nation’s infrastructure,” Mr. Gottheimer said. “That’s why the House can’t afford to wait months or do anything to risk passing the historic infrastructure package.”
Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, has refused to meet the demands. She says the Senate must pass the larger package before the House votes on infrastructure.
[…]
Divisions between the moderates and party’s liberals, who also have threatened to withhold their votes if they don’t get their way, have even forced Mr. Biden and senior administration officials, including members of the Cabinet, to make personal entreaties to moderate Democrats on the $3.5 trillion package.
In private phone calls, administration officials argue that Mr. Biden “cannot afford to lose” a vote in Congress given the imbroglio in Afghanistan.
[…]
In each of the conversations, White House aides have pressured Democratic lawmakers to unite behind the “leader of their party.”
In an attempt to pressure moderates into backing the reconciliation vote, Mrs. Pelosi upended the scheduled order of business for Wednesday.
Rather than having lawmakers vote individually on a budget resolution to kick-start the reconciliation process, the speaker opted to hold a vote on a vague and ambiguous congressional ruling.
In essence, by voting to pass the rule, lawmakers advanced the budget resolution and election overhaul measures long favored by Democrats.
[…]
The liberals are backing Mrs. Pelosi and even threatening to withhold their support from the infrastructure deal unless the reconciliation package moves forward first.
Mrs. Pelosi and other House leadership members have been working to end the standoff, with little success.
“We need to trust one another,” said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland. “This is mutually assured destruction.”
Even the Democrats are blocking…the Democrats from getting these bills passed. Look, I wouldn’t mind if both bills died. This is trillions in new spending as inflation soars and job creation slows. The economy is heading down a brutal track. We’re a mess in Afghanistan. Biden is aloof. And Democrats simply just need to realize they don’t have the votes or the mandate to pass such a left-wing makeover of America. If there was an infrastructure bill that actually addressed roads, bridges, and the like—I wouldn’t really be arguing. It could come with a high price tag for sure too—but these bills are not that at all.
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