WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Striking a deal with moderates, House Democratic leaders muscled President Joe Biden\u2019s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Tuesday, ending a risky standoff and putting the party\u2019s domestic infrastructure agenda back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 220-212 vote was a first move toward drafting Biden\u2019s $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan this fall, and the narrow outcome, in the face of unanimous Republican opposition, signaled the power a few voices have to alter the debate and the challenges ahead still threatening to upend the president\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the White House, Biden praised the outcome as \u201ca step closer to truly investing in the American people.\u201d He said at a news conference that he had called to congratulate House leaders for the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tensions had flared during a turbulent 24 hours that brought the House to a standstill as a band of moderate lawmakers threatened to withhold their votes for the $3.5 trillion plan. They were demanding the House first approve a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan package of other public works projects that\u2019s already passed the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Backed by the White House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi huddled privately with lawmakers and leaders to engineer an offramp. In brokering the compromise, Pelosi committed to voting on the bipartisan package no later than Sept. 27, an attempt to assure lawmakers it won\u2019t be left on the sidelines. It\u2019s also in keeping with with Pelosi\u2019s insistence that the two bills move together as a more complete collection of Biden\u2019s priorities. Pelosi has set a goal of passing both by Oct. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pelosi told her colleagues before the vote that the legislation would lead to a federal investment on par with the New Deal and the Great Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She brushed aside the delays. \u201cThat\u2019s just part of the legislative process,\u201d she said, according to an aide granted anonymity to discuss a closed-door caucus meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot only are we building the physical infrastructure of America, we are building the human infrastructure of America,\u201d Pelosi said on the House floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Easing off the stalemate will shelve, for now, the stark divisions between moderate and progressive lawmakers who make up the Democrats\u2019 so-slim House majority. But as the drama spilled out during what was supposed to be a quick session as lawmakers returned to work for a few days in August, it showcased the party differences that threaten to upend Biden\u2019s ambitious rebuilding agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Republicans fully opposed to the president\u2019s big plans and arguing that Congress should be focused instead on the crisis in Afghanistan, the Democratic leaders have just a few votes to spare. That gives any band of lawmakers leverage that can be used to make or break a deal, as they are in position to do in the weeks to come as moderates and progressives draft and vote on the broader $3.5 trillion package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s important to those of us who are moderate Democrats to make sure that our voices are heard,\u201d said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., one of the negotiators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Challenging their party\u2019s most powerful leaders, nine moderate Democrats signed onto a letter late last week raising their objections to pushing ahead with Biden\u2019s broader infrastructure proposal without first considering the smaller public works plan of road, public transit and broadband spending that has already passed the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their ranks grew as other moderates, including Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the Blue Dog caucus of centrist Democrats, raised similar concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Progressives were outraged at the moderates, blaming them for potentially jamming Biden\u2019s agenda, which is stocked with hard-fought party goals like child care, paid family leave and Medicare expansion, along with green infrastructure spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside groups, including Justice Democrats, started running campaign ads and members of Our Revolution, the organization aligned with Bernie Sanders, protested Tuesday outside the New Jersey office of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a leader of the moderate effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a \u2018which side are you on\u2018 moment,\u2019\u201d said Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese, who promised to \u201corganize like never before to hold Democrats accountable and get this bill over the finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The budget measure is at the heart of Biden\u2019s \u201cBuild Back Better\u201d vision for helping families and combating climate change and is progressives\u2019 top priority, all of it largely financed with tax increases on the rich and big business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The House committees are already fast at work drafting legislation to fill in the details of the $3.5 trillion package for consideration later this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Progressives signaled early on they wanted the Biden budget priorities first before they agree to the smaller Senate package, worried it would be an insufficient down-payment on his goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the moderates want the opposite, insisting Congress quickly send the smaller, bipartisan infrastructure measure they helped shape with the senators to Biden so he can sign it before the political winds shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the moderates insist they also want to support Biden\u2019s broader package, progressives are skeptical. Senate centrists Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have said they cannot support a $3.5 trillion package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, the moderates were also trying to win assurances from Pelosi that whatever version of the broader bill they draft in the House will be the same in the Senate \u2014 setting up another showdown between the party\u2019s competing flanks and their vision for the rebuilding priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have established a path forward,\u201d Gottheimer said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The compromise structured Tuesday\u2019s vote to include passage of the budget resolution and the commitment for the September vote on the bipartisan package as part of a procedural vote, called the Rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, the White House has backed Pelosi as she has led her party in a tightly scripted strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republicans plan to reject the the $3.5 trillion effort as big government spending, and GOP support for the slimmer $1 trillion bipartisan measure is now uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conservative House Freedom Caucus said it opposes both the Biden budget and the bipartisan bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republicans blasted Democrats for pursuing their priorities at a time when they said all focus should be on Afghanistan, as thousands of people including Americans are trying to flee the country as the U.S. withdraws its forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe should be doing nothing else on this floor until every single American is home,\u201d said Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inserting his own wedge into the politics of the situation, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday on Fox News that he was rooting for the House moderates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wish the moderates in the House success,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cI\u2019m pulling for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
___<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Alan Fram and Brian Slodysko contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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