Aug 13, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Nine House Democrats say they won't vote on budget unless infrastructure bill passes

Erin Doherty

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, speaks during her weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on August 6, 2021 — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks during her weekly press briefing on August 6, 2021. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Nine House Democrats on Thursday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warning that they would not vote on a budget resolution until the $1 trillion infrastructure package passes the House and is signed into law, Punchbowl News reported.

Why it matters: The pledge threatens Democrats' plan to pass both a multitrillion-dollar spending package and the bipartisan infrastructure package, which Pelosi has pledged to take up at the same time. With only a slim majority in the House, Pelosi can only lose three Democratic votes.

But, but, but: A number of progressive Democrats are also demanding substantive changes to the infrastructure bill meaning that bill couldn't pass the House right now.

What they're saying: "With the livelihoods of hardworking American families at stake, we simply can’t afford months of unnecessary delays and risk squandering this once-in-a-century, bipartisan infrastructure package. It’s time to get shovels in the ground and people to work," the nine moderate House Democrats write.

"We will not consider voting for a budget resolution until the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passes the House and is signed into law."
The letter is signed by Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Carolyn Bourdeaux (Ga.), Filemon Vela (Texas), Jared Golden (Maine), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Vincente Gonzalez (Texas), Ed Case (Hawaii), Jim Costa (Calif.) and Kurt Schrader (Ore.).

Go deeper: Senate passes $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package

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Nine House Democrats say they won't vote on budget unless infrastructure bill passes

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