Nancy Pelosi Doubles Down on Holding Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Hostage

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Wednesday the House will not vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill until the Senate approves the more leftist reconciliation infrastructure bill.

The House leader said the House would “take up” the bill once they see the “budget parameters” of the budget bill.

Although Pelosi said she would hold a vote on the bipartisan bill after the more leftist reconciliation bill, Pelosi’s statement does not serve as a guarantee that they would vote on the bill.

She added, “Our caucus is very, very pleased with the bipartisan agreement.”

Pelosi emphasized they believed they could pass the bipartisan bill.

“We have seen bipartisanship in all of this, and that is what gives us hope that this can be done,” she said.

Swing district Democrats have contradicted Pelosi, voicing their concerns she should not hold the bipartisan bill hostage.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said the bipartisan infrastructure deal was historic on its own and “something we should celebrate by getting it passed as quickly as possible. … I don’t think we should hold our infrastructure hostage.”

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) said, “I think it’d be incredibly disappointing if there’s a bill from the Senate, waiting for our action, and we choose to delay it arbitrarily.”

“I think that … a bill that can actually pass Congress and get to the President’s desk — I want to pass that. And so I want to strike while the iron is hot.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

Cuellar (D-TX) said, “Oh, but we got to add all those things. I want to know what we’re looking at there before I can commit. I mean, there’s some things I support, but I just don’t know exactly what that wish list might be.”

Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) said,  “I think that … a bill that can actually pass Congress and get to the President’s desk — I want to pass that. And so I want to strike while the iron is hot.”