A $1 trillion infrastructure passed the Senate with bipartisan support Tuesday—but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is resisting pressure from moderate Democrats to bring it up for a vote immediately. Sources tell the Hill that during a call with House Democrats on Wednesday, Pelosi said she was sticking to her position that the House won't vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package until the Senate has also passed the larger $3.5 trillion package. The budget blueprint for that package was passed in a party-line vote early Wednesday, but the follow-up legislation is unlikely to arrive before next month at the earliest, and House progressives plan to use the infrastructure bill as leverage to ensure the larger package with new spending on social programs also passes the Senate. That would will require all 50 Democratic votes.
Sources say Pelosi told lawmakers: "I am not freelancing. This is the consensus." Fox reports that a group of moderate House Democrats circulated a letter earlier this week calling for the House to take up the bipartisan bill without delay. "This once-in-a-century investment deserves its own consideration, without regard to other legislation," wrote the lawmakers, who also expressed concerns about the larger bill's potential effect on inflation and the deficit. In a sign the $3.5 trillion bill could face strong headwinds in the Senate, moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said Wednesday that he was worried about " grave consequences" of the spending, reports Reuters. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged there was a long road ahead, saying it was as if "we caught a nice long pass at midfield, but we still have 50 yards to go before we score a touchdown," per the AP. (More infrastructure stories.)
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