Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) demanded Wednesday the Democrats stop playing political “games” with infrastructure negotiations, which could result in legislation being resolved by reconciliation.
“Our nation’s infrastructure isn’t something to play politics with. If we can’t even agree on what infrastructure is, what can we agree on? It’s time for Senate Democrats to stop with these games and do what we were all elected to do,” Scott tweeted:
The games heated up Tuesday when Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said she may vote for a bipartisan infrastructure bill if a second reconciliation tactic is planned to include global warming provisions, which may accomplish the far left’s agenda of implementing “climate change” provisions.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s adviser Steve Richetti explained Tuesday the Senate only has ten days to settle on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. “After that,” a Reuters reporter tweeted, “the House can move towards reconciliation” with the Senate.
The decision to forgo bipartisan discussions and potentially use reconciliation, a tactic used to get around a 60 vote threshold to pass legislation, is dependent on Democrat senators. Many have hesitated on if they would vote to approve the legislative provisions amid a “vote-a-rama,” a circumstance where each provision of legislation decided by the previous reconciliation agreement will be voted up or down by a simple Senate majority.
If the Democrats drop just one vote tied to any of the measures, the measure is dead.
Moderate Senate Democrats, therefore, hold great sway in bargaining specific changes to the provisions with the Senate leadership and ultimately with President Joe Biden, who pledged to drastically raise taxes, along with changing the economy to fit global warming policies.
It is unknown how Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) would vote on those specific provisions.