Congressional Democrats are scrambling to work out a deal that will allow both the bipartisan infrastructure bill—passed by the Senate earlier this year—and the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill to clear both chambers and make their way to President Joe Biden's desk.
With Biden's and Pelosi's support, Congressional progressives agreed earlier this year that the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion bill would pass at the same time.
While the bipartisan bill addresses nuts-and-bolts infrastructure, the $3.5 trillion bill brings some of the sweeping changes Biden promised on the campaign trail, such as universal pre-kindergarten, dramatically expanded medicare, and drastic efforts to combat climate change.
Progressives are now facing pressure to back down from insisting the reconciliation bill pass the House before voting on the bipartisan bill, but Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal of Washington is adamant that this is a nonstarter, noting that both Pelosi and Biden agreed to this aspect of the deal.
This puts Pelosi in the unenviable position of working out a deal that will satisfy progressives in the House, but still stand a chance in the Senate—where it will need every Democratic vote, even those of big oil and pharma beneficiary Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
Far-right Congresswoman and prominent conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was stripped of her committee assignments earlier this year, which is probably why she had time to troll Pelosi by jokingly offering her vote, with some significant caveats.
Ok so everyone is making deals tonight.\n\nHere\u2019s my offer to the Speaker.\n\nI\u2019ll vote YES if you..\n\n1. Decertify election\n\n2. Trump back in the WH\n\n3. Fire Fauci\n\n4. Expel Maxine\n\n5. Investigate Ilhan\n\n6. Build the Wall - close the border\n\n7. End mask/vaccine mandates.\n\nDeal?— Marjorie Taylor Greene \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Marjorie Taylor Greene \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1633054288
Greene absurdly called on Pelosi to decertify the 2020 election (something she has no power to do) and reinstate Trump (another thing she has no power to do), to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci (no power to do, as he's Biden's advisor), expel Congresswoman Maxine Waters (would require two-thirds of the House), and end mask/vaccine mandates (which are largely at the state and municipal level, not under federal control).
Greene apparently doesn't know even the most rudimentary processes of the body employing her.
A lunatic who doesn\u2019t know basic civics. Good job, Georgiahttps://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1443760445383495689\u00a0\u2026— Joseph Di Seta (@Joseph Di Seta) 1633091380
You\u2019re joking, right? #ExpelMarjorieTaylorGreene #NotMyGOP https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1443760445383495689\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/NXMjFD8MMI— CasaLoudFan07 (@CasaLoudFan07) 1633069792
The audacity of you cretin Congress windbag excuse of a person.https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1443760445383495689\u00a0\u2026— Carey Georgia Ormsby (@Carey Georgia Ormsby) 1633101308
Demented grocery list.https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1443760445383495689\u00a0\u2026— Mr. Newberger (@Mr. Newberger) 1633090808
The absolute delusionhttps://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1443760445383495689\u00a0\u2026— justin (@justin) 1633088554
The outright stupidity of this thing...yet she\u2019s a leading Republican figure lmaohttps://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1443760445383495689\u00a0\u2026— Ryan Jackson (@Ryan Jackson) 1633076230
Meanwhile, more serious members of Congress were actually engaging in discourse about infrastructure.
By allowing one bill to advance without the Build Back Better Act alongside it, we leave behind childcare, paid leave, health care, climate action, education, and a roadmap to citizenship.\n\nWe're not going to leave working people, families, and our communities behind.https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1443731466899365889\u00a0\u2026— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1633056464
Ever notice how \u201cdeficit hawks\u201d vote for record-high defense spending, yet claim bills that help people & challenge lobbyists are \u201ctoo much?\u201d\n\n\u201822 Defense Bill = $768 billion/yr\nBuild Back Better = $350B/yr\n\nGuess which got rubber stamped & which gets deemed a \u201cspending problem\u201dhttps://twitter.com/thehill/status/1443572109142155273\u00a0\u2026— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1633042781
Here's the deal: unlike my predecessor's tax plan, every penny of my Build Back Better Agenda is paid for.pic.twitter.com/T1urUTbYdb— President Biden (@President Biden) 1633030052
Deal?
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