Report: Democrat Infrastructure Bill Faces Significant Delay

Democrats now hope to pass a partisan infrastructure package using next year’s budget resolution, a move that would significantly delay the momentum of one of President Joe Biden’s signature proposals.

Biden and congressional Democrats hope to pass their multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure package via the reconciliation process for the 2021 budget resolution. However, Punchbowl News reported senior Democrats do not believe they can pass such a bill by the end of the 2021 fiscal year or September 30.

Democrats hope to pass their infrastructure package through reconciliation because, unlike most bills, it could pass through the Senate with a simple majority or 50 votes. This means that they could pass the bill on partisan lines or with the help of a few Senate Republicans. Congress can only use reconciliation for legislation that pertains to spending and the debt.

For instance, Republicans used reconciliation to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Democrats passed their $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill using reconciliation in March.

This means Democrats have shifted towards passing the infrastructure bill using the 2022 budget resolution, although they may face significant logistical problems because Congress will have to also pass legislation that addresses government funding and the debt limit this Fall.

“We warned you this would get complicated. But you should really brace for a busy July-through-October legislative rush,” Punchbowl News wrote.

The White House will release its budget resolution proposal Friday, with congressional Democrats looking to release their budget resolution next month.

Although Democrats face many hurdles to passing another budget resolution in a timely fashion, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Budget Committee chairman, promised Monday to move “as quickly as possible.”

“I think we are reaching the end of the period in which we have not seen serious Republican proposals. And sooner [rather] than later, we’ve got to make it clear that we are going forward to address the crises facing the market,” he added.