After months of Democratic infighting, the House passed the infrastructure bill. Biden's win was a victory.
Their success was partially overshadowed partly by the failure of Democrats to pass the social law due to a centrist revolt.
The House Democrats plan to approve the social legislation before Thanksgiving and send it to Senate.
A daily selection of top stories, based on your reading preferences, is available to you. Loading Click Sign up to receive marketing emails and other offers from Insider.
After months of Democratic infighting, the House approved President Joe Biden’s $550 billion infrastructure bill. This was a significant achievement for the president and a crucial part of his economic agenda. The bill was also supported by more than a dozen Republican legislators.
The Democrats' success was partially overshadowed in part by a fierce fight within the party over the $1.75 trillion larger social spending bill. A few centrists refused support the climate and social legislation without an economic analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. This nonpartisan scorekeeper is not partisan. Instead, Democrats moved for approval of a procedural motion to advance the social plan.
With 13 Republican legislators joining the majority House Democrats, the vote on infrastructure was 228 to206. Six progressives opposed the bill because it would cut off the social plan's link. The legislators were Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, Jamaal Bowman and Rashida Talaib of Michigan, AyannaPressley of Massachusetts and Cori Bush, Missouri.
The Democrats were on track to approve the procedural rule regarding the social plan within a short time. They plan to get it passed and sent to the Senate during the week beginning November 15.
Democrats wanted to quickly pass both measures, but the centrist revolt caused a lot of frustration. Pelosi won two major votes over the past three months, after progressives withheld their support for the infrastructure package without the Social Bill. They argued that both must pass together. For the moment, however, centrists have stopped exactly that.
California Democrat is limited to losing three votes. This gives her little flexibility between the feuding wings.
In the wake of their electoral defeat in Virginia, progressives gave up on opposing the bill's passage this week. The so-called Blue Dog centrists, such as Rep. Stephanie Murphy from Florida, suddenly opposed to the passage of the social spending plan.
One House Democratic aide spoke candidly to Insider, saying that everyone is tired and frustrated.
"Well, the entire day was a clusterfuck," said Pocan of Wisconsin. Rep. Mark Pocan from Wisconsin said this to reporters. "But beyond that, I thought everyone was working very congenially." "Rank and file members knew how to get the shit done."
