Democratic lawmakers had to make tough decisions about how to avoid a government shutdown because of infrastructure bill, avert a catastrophic debt default, and conclude splitting feuds over President Joe Biden‘s economic agenda as the House returns Monday.
It’s a rushed situation. Congressional action is needed to prevent a debt ceiling breach in October, federal funds will expire on Sept. 30, and states require disaster relief.
While trying to meet competing party faction demands, Nancy Pelosi’s complicated set of promises face a major test. Congressional Democrats are aiming for a Sept. 27 deadline to vote on the Senate’s infrastructure bill, which Pelosi, D-Calif., said would be a deadline for centrists. Progressives have heard her say however that it will be implemented alongside the multi-trillion-dollar measure.
The Infrastructure Bill Chaos
The D-Washington congresswoman, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has been telling reporters for months that dozens of House Democrats plan to vote down the infrastructure bill if the larger spending bill isn’t passed.
Biden’s agenda for child cash payments, Medicare expansion, community college subsidies, and tax increases on the wealthy confronts a humiliating defeat in the House if party leaders don’t resolve a slew of differences among Democrats within the bigger package.
Progressives remain confident they will be able to hold their ground, said a Democratic aide. There are other analysts who doubt that they would derail a major part of Biden’s agenda in an attempt to gain leverage over a different bill instead of infrastructure bill.
Moderate Senate Democrats including Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema say $3.5 trillion is too much for infrastructure bill; Manchin suggests spending less than half that.
To get the bill passed in the Senate, Democrats plan to use a maneuver called budget “reconciliation” to avoid the requirement for 60 votes in the 100-member chamber.
But they suffered a setback on Sunday when the Senate parliamentarian ruled that a provision giving a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants, including the so-called Dreamers brought to the United States as children, could not be included under the Senate rules.
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BILLION DOLLAR CEILING
Three more rigid deadlines follow the self-imposed deadline of Sept. 27.
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As happened three times in the past decade, government operations will be suspended Oct. 1, when funding runs out. After the Infrastructure Bill Deadline chaos ends.
Additionally, the U.S. As it stands, the U.S. Treasury’s cash reserves and borrowing capacity are at the end of their capacities for the $28.4 trillion federal debt limit, making it impossible to meet all of its bills or service its debt without congressional action to raise the limit.
Several prominent Democrats said on Monday that legislation to continue funding the government through the end of the year, as well as suspending the debt ceiling through December 2022, will prevent a government shutdown. It’s up to the House to decide whether to pass it this week.
