Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told her Democrat colleagues on a Wednesday phone call that there will not be a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package that passed the Senate this month, despite calls from many in her party.
As the Senate passed the legislation 69-30 Tuesday, with 19 Republicans joining with every Democrat in voting for the package, a number of Democrats in the House have called on Pelosi to bring the bill to the floor for a vote in August. However, Pelosi reportedly told her colleagues that Biden’s bipartisan approach is progress but “ain’t the whole vision.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a total of 2,702 pages and includes $550 billion in new spending, with the rest redirecting spending that was already authorized by Congress. Meanwhile, the Senate passed a $3.5 trillion budget framework early Wednesday, as Democrats want to pass measures addressing climate change, education, immigration, health care and more.
“I am not freelancing. This is the consensus,” Pelosi said, according to The Hill. “The president has said he’s all for the bipartisan approach … bravo! That’s progress, but it ain’t the whole vision,” Pelosi reportedly added. “The votes in the House and Senate depend on us having both bills.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) attends a news conference about climate change outside the U.S. Capitol on July 28, 2021 in Washington, DC. Pelosi and Schumer called on Congress to take bold action on climate change issues. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer released a statement Tuesday that the House might end its recess short and return sometime in August to vote on the infrastructure bill. (RELATED: Senate Adopts Democrats’ Budget On Party-Line Vote, Setting Stage To Push $3.5 Trillion Legislation Through Congress)
“For your scheduling purposes, assuming that the Senate does, in fact, complete work on a budget resolution, the House will return to session on the evening of August 23 to consider that budget resolution and will remain in session until our business for the week is concluded,” Hoyer in a statement. (RELATED: Senate Passes The Largest Infrastructure Package In Decades, Over A Dozen Republicans Vote In Favor)
The Daily Caller contacted Pelosi’s office about the reported comments to which they did not immediately respond.