Tuesday, September 17

Biden Meets With Lower House Democrats To Push For Infrastructure Plan


Nancy Pelosi acompañó a Biden en la reunión con los demócratas de la Cámara Baja.
Nancy Pelosi accompanied Biden in the meeting with the Democrats of the Lower House.

Photo: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

President Joe Biden paid an unusual visit to the Capitol on Friday, intended to unite Lower House Democrats, who continue to disagree on the $ 1 trillion infrastructure bill and save his broader economic agenda from political collapse.

The occasion of Biden’s visit was an attempt to Rekindle support for a long-sought measure to repair the nation’s highways, bridges, pipelines, ports, and Internet connections .

Democrats seem to find no way to reach an agreement and advance the plan infrastructure , due to conflicts in their own ranks between liberals and centrists.

President Biden’s comments over the course of a private meeting of about an hour Ultimately, they sought to reestablish a debate that has turned intense in recent days, with no possible deal in sight, as House Democrats have repeatedly delayed a vote on the $ 1 trillion infrastructure plan , amid threats to scuttle it from within his own party.

Leaving the meeting, Biden again emphasized to reporters the need for patience. “We are going to do this,” Biden told reporters. Pressed on a timeline, the president said, “It doesn’t matter when. It does not matter if it is in six minutes, six days or six weeks, we will do it ”, according to CNN.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi had scheduled the approval of the infrastructure plan for this Thursday, but had to suspend it because the progressives rebelled and threatened to overthrow him in the Lower House if the Senate does not vote earlier on the other Legislative package aimed at expanding social programs, Plan Build Back Better .

“We need a vote”, reiterated this Friday the progressive legislator Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez entering the meeting with the Democrats.

Speaking to the press, the “number two” Democrats in the House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, said that there is still a chance of a vote this Friday on the infrastructure plan , one of the two main pieces of Biden’s economic agenda that are under discussion in Congress:

The infrastructure plan , which has already been approved in the Senate with the support of both parties, is one of the two key pieces of Biden’s economic agenda.

The other piece of the president’s economic plan is e l Build Back Better plan, which only has the support of the majority of Democrats and has not yet been approved by any of the houses of Congress, and seeks to expand social programs, combat the climate crisis ca and raise taxes on large and rich companies.