In an interview published on Sunday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that Democrats need to pass their social-spending bill quickly or progressives will not vote for other pieces of legislation.
The reconciliation bill being signed into law is something that a lot is riding on, according to the woman who voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The stakes are high, according to the New York Democrat. The Progressive Caucus gave their votes for the infrastructure bill because of direct promises from the president and more conservative Democrats. House leadership as well.
She told the newspaper that if those promises don't follow through, it's going to be very difficult for them to get votes on anything moving forward.
The reconciliation bill, which was a key win for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, still faces a vote in the Senate.
The final bill could be in trouble if Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia doesn't support it.
If the final version of the Build Back Better Act is similar to the version advanced by the House, then members have a chance to go back to their communities and say we delivered, according to one of the highest-profile progressive lawmakers in Congress.
The process has been demoralizing for a lot of people, because there were enormous promises made. She said that that continued even after the election.
She said that she sounded the alarm because Democrats make promises that they don't keep.
In an interview with The Times, the congresswoman said that she thinks the party must be attentive to passing substantive legislation.
There's a lot of headlines with the bipartisan infrastructure plan. She understands the importance of making a victory lap.
Over-promise and under-deliver is the most vulnerable position we could be in.
