Two moderate Democrats announced their support for the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill after securing a scheduled vote for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, Axios reported Sunday.
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) and Filemon Vela (D-TX), two of the moderate Democrats who demanded Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) hold a floor vote by Monday, said they would vote for the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill.
U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (4th L) speaks as (L-R) Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) listen during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol June 16, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The House plans to vote this week, potentially Monday or Tuesday, on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, otherwise known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“We support swift passage of the president’s $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. The bipartisan infrastructure framework would, on average, deliver $1.2 billion per congressional district,” the Democrats told Axios.
“However, the idea that denying passage of the Senate’s Bipartisan Infrastructure bill [BIF] somehow exercises ‘leverage’ over some of our more fiscally conservative members is wholly misguided,” the lawmakers added.
It remains unclear if the other seven centrist Democrats plan to vote for the larger infrastructure bill now that they secured a vote for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. This includes Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Ed Case (D-HI), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Jared Golden (D-ME), and Carolyn Boudeaux (D-GA).
Gottheimer, who is leading the moderate Democrats, said that the Senate needs to determine the spending top-level before moderate Democrats can agree on the price tag of the larger bill.
“Whatever we can get 51 in the Senate on, which we will, we will get done and it’ll be coming into law,” the New Jersey Democrat said Saturday.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) adjusts her face mask during a news conference on infrastructure outside the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2021, in Washington, DC. Pelosi met with President Joe Biden and her Republican counterparts earlier in the day to discuss Biden’s infrastructure plan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The planned vote for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act sets up a fight with progressive lawmakers, who have promised to tank the bill without advancing the larger bill.
“I don’t believe there is going to be a vote. The votes aren’t there,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said Sunday.
Pelosi promised the so-called bipartisan infrastructure bill would have the votes if it came to the floor.
“We will bring the bill to the floor [Monday] for consideration. I’m never bringing a bill to the floor that doesn’t have the votes,” Pelosi said.
“You cannot choose the date. You have to go when you have the votes, in a reasonable time. It’s an eventful week,” she added.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.