On Friday night, the House passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill after a standoff between moderates and progressives.
The $1.2 trillion package provides funding towards improving roads, bridges, waterways, ports, and broadband internet.
It was passed on a 228-206 vote, with 13 GOP lawmakers and 6 Democrats crossing party lines to vote. In August, the Senate voted 69-30 to approve it. The bill now awaits approval from President Biden.
The bill included a written agreement from moderates saying “they would vote for the broader spending package if the CBO score was aligned with White House estimates,” according to The Daily Caller.
Biden had said “I am urging all members to vote for both the rule for consideration of the Build Back Better Act and final passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill tonight”. “I am confident that during the week of November 15, the House will pass the Build Back Better Act,” he continued.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had originally planned to hold votes on both the infrastructure and spending bills, but that plan was dropped when some moderates demanded the Congressional Budget Office “score” the spending bill. This process can take weeks to complete, so the vote is delayed.
Members of “The Squad” were the only Democrats that voted against the bill. The six representatives are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal tweeted “The longer the Build Back Better Act is delayed, the more time corporate interests have to derail these popular, necessary, and long-overdue investments in working people, families, and communities. It’s time to get this done for the people”.
Democrats are hopeful the spending bill will pass the House by Thanksgiving. Then it’ll make its way to the Senate, where all 50 Democrats will have to vote to pass it.
