Biden doubles down on costly agenda despite GOP victory in Virginia: LIVE UPDATES
The House passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill with a bipartisan vote Friday, ending weeks of deadlock amid infighting between the party's moderates and progressives.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Fox News senior correspondent Alicia Acuna issued a warning amid the passage of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill late Friday night, adding that "we're really getting used to some big numbers, and it's getting to be really frightening."
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President Biden’s $1.7 trillion Build Back Better Act is expected to receive little to no GOP support in Congress, and Republicans have grown increasingly concerned about how the spending package could affect prices at the pump.
Gas prices have hit a seven-year high after shortages in the post-pandemic market have left demand up and inflation spiking.
The latest move to transition the U.S. away from oil reliance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the president’s social spending package has some concerned that prices will continue to inflate for consumers.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday issued a statement applauding House Democrats' success in passing their $1.2 trillion infrastructer package on Friday evening.
"The American people sent President Biden to the White House and Democratic Majorities to Congress to deliver results that make their lives better," she said. "Last night, by sending an historic and bipartisan infrastructure package to the President’s desk, that is exactly what we have done."
Pelosi added that "Democrats have taken a momentous step toward realizing our transformative agenda."
"When the House returns, we will pass our Build Back Better Act to bring down the everyday costs that burden working parents – from health care to child care to paid leave to prescription drugs and more – while also securing one of the largest middle class tax cuts in history," the Speaker continued.
The push to advance U.S. infrastructure by improving transit systems and advancing climate-friendly initiatives was a cornerstone of President Biden’s campaign, but fighting over his social spending package has stoked division within his party.
While the bill had wide support from Democrats, six of the party’s progressive leaders voted against the legislation.
Democratic lawmakers, dubbed the "Squad," voted against the mammoth infrastructure bill in protest to fact the $1.7 trillion Build Back Better social spending package was not also voted on.
"I have been clear that I would not be able to support the infrastructure bill without a vote on the Build Back Better Act," Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in a Friday statement. "Passing the infrastructure bill without passing the Build Back Better Act first risks leaving behind childcare, paid leave, health care, climate action, housing, education, and a roadmap to citizenship."
Read more on Fox News here.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Saturday criticized Republicans who voted in favor of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which passed in the House on Friday night.
Thirteen GOP lawmakers joining Democrats to vote in favor of the legislation and six progressive Democrats voting against the massive spending package.
"It was very surprising to me to see 13 Republicans basically bail Nancy Pelosi out," Haggerty said on Fox News' "CAVUTO Live" Saturday morning. "She did not have the votes within her own party to do this. We had 13 Republicans that decided to step up and help her in this way, and what they did is put themselves on a path to early retirement."
Read more on Fox News here.
President Biden on Saturday hailed the passing of what he called a "long overdue" infrastructure bill after it passed the House with Republican votes a day earlier.
"Folks, yesterday I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that we took a monumental step forward as a nation," a clearly delighted Biden said at a press conference.
Biden touted 5.6 million jobs since he took office and an unemployment rate of 4.6%.
"And we’re just getting started," he said. "We did something that's been long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington, but never actually been done."
Read more on Fox News here.
In this July 28, 2016, file photo, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Saturday applauded the passage of President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and called on Congress to "move quickly" on passing the social spending package.
"President Biden came into office promising to find consensus in Washington so he can better the lives of Americans in all places in our country. With the House’s passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, he has delivered," Granholm said. "So many before tried and failed to accomplish such significant investments in our families, in our communities, and in our future.
Read more on Fox Business here.
President Biden said Saturday that he supports payments to migrants who were separated from their family during the Trump administration.
Biden last week called reports of $450,000 payments to illegal immigrants "garbage," but indicated Saturday that he was responding to the dollar amount.
The migrants, he said in response to a question from Fox News' David Spunt, "deserve some kind of compensation," even as he said he doesn't know what the number will be.
President Biden speaks about the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Biden indicated Saturday that he would not sign the bipartisan $1,200,000,000,000 infrastructure bill but would wait until members of Congress could be there for a signing ceremony.
That will happen "soon," he said.
"When we have the bill signing I'll be able to thank everyone in the House and the Senate for their leadership," he said, mentioning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Whip James Clyburn and more.
He said that the American people would begin feeling the effects of the infrastructure in two to three months. "This is a blue collar blueprint to rebuild America, and it's long overdue," he said.
President Biden speaks about the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Biden touted his spending agenda after the House passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
He also reacted to the Virginia governor's race where Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin. He doubled down on his agenda despite the loss, saying one lesson from the 2021 election was that Americans want Congress to "get something done."
President Biden will give remarks Saturday morning after the House voted to pass Democrats’ $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill across party lines.
Biden said in a Friday night statement that the legislation will “create millions of jobs, turn the climate crisis into an opportunity, and put us on a path to win the economic competition for the 21st Century.”
House lawmakers also voted 221-213 along party lines to pass the procedural “rule” for President Biden’s expansive social spending bill, clearing the way for House Democratic leaders to eventually bring the president’s $1.75 trillion spending bill up for a vote.
“The Build Back Better Act will be a once-in-a-generation investment in our people,” Biden said in his statement. “It will lower bills for healthcare, child care, elder care, prescription drugs, and preschool. And middle-class families get a tax cut. This bill is also fiscally responsible, fully paid for, and doesn’t raise the deficit.”
President Biden and House Democrats celebrated overnight after the passage of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which ended weeks of deadlock amid infighting between the party's moderates and progressives.
"Tonight, we took a monumental step forward as a nation," Biden said in a statement issued by the White House early Saturday.
Biden, who has been urging Democrats to pass the signature item on his agenda, called the legislation a "once-in-a-generation investment in our people."
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House Republicans opposing the Democrats' $1 trillion infrastructure package reacted swiftly late Friday after their colleagues across the aisle – aided by 13 members of the GOP – passed the legislation.
The bipartisan bill’s passage was viewed a win for the Biden administration and ended weeks of deadlock between moderate and progressive Democrats.
Some Republicans who voted "no" called the bill "communist" or "socialist" and decried their GOP colleagues who voted with Democrats.
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House lawmakers voted 221-213 along party lines to pass the procedural “rule” for President Biden’s expansive social spending bill late Friday night, securing a measure of progress for Democratic leaders who were forced to delay a planned vote on the bill itself.
The adoption of the “rule” governing the reconciliation process clears the way for House Democratic leaders to eventually bring Biden’s $1.75 trillion spending bill up for a vote. Moments before the procedural vote occurred, the House voted to pass the separate $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package.
Plans to vote on both bills Friday were dropped after moderates insisted the Congressional Budget Office “score” the spending bill so they could better understand its financial implications before a vote. Their resistance prompted Pelosi to move forward with the procedural “rule” vote to make progress without actually passing the bill.
Progressives agreed to support both the “rule” and the infrastructure bill after securing a deal with moderates, who promised to vote for the spending bill as it is currently written no later than Nov. 15.
House lawmakers passed President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill late Friday night, securing a key victory for his administration and breaking a weeks-long deadlock between moderates and progressives that threatened to derail the legislation.
The House vote was 228-206, with 13 GOP lawmakers crossing party lines to join Democrats in voting in favor of the legislation.
The bill, which provides funding for physical infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, water pipes and broadband internet, will now advance to President Biden’s desk for final approval. Senate lawmakers already voted 69-30 to approve the legislation in August.
The legislation passed after months of tenuous negotiations, with Democratic leaders working frantically to reach a consensus that satisfied both progressive and moderate holdouts. Talks nearly collapsed on several occasions, including as recently as mere minutes before the vote.
Progressives agreed to vote for the infrastructure bill after a securing a pledge from a group of House moderates, who committed to voting for Biden's $1.75 trillion social spending bill no later than the week of Nov. 15.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus said late Friday that its members will vote in favor of both the spending bill "rule" and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Their commitment followed a pledge by House moderates to vote for the "Build Back Better Act" as it is currently written no later than the week of Nov. 15.
Support from progressives is a major win for Democratic leaders who scrambled to salvage a vote on the infrastructure bill and advance the spending bill.
Read the Progressive Caucus' statement below.
“Tonight, members of the Progressive Caucus and our colleagues in the Democratic Caucus reached an agreement to advance both pieces of President Biden’s legislative agenda. Our colleagues have committed to voting for the transformative Build Back Better Act, as currently written, no later than the week of November 15. All of our colleagues have also committed to voting tonight on the rule to move the Build Back Better Act forward to codify this promise. The President has affirmed these members gave him the same commitment.
“As part of this agreement, at the request of the President, and to ensure we pass both bills through the House, progressives will advance the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the House rule on Build Back Better tonight.”
A group of five moderate House Democratic lawmakers released a statement committing to vote for the Biden spending bill once the Congressional Budget Office finishes "scoring" the legislation. The lawmakers added that they would work to address any discrepancies that arise between the CB score and previous spending estimates.
The statement is meant to reassure progressive lawmakers who balked after a vote on the spending bill was delayed.
House lawmakers wrapped up their debate on the procedural "rule" governing the spending bill. The House then went into a recess, subject to the call of the chair.
Lawmakers have still not voted on the bipartisan infrastructure bill or on whether to adopt the "rule" on the spending bill.
"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," President Biden said in a statement. "I am confident that during the week of November 15, the House will pass the Build Back Better Act."
The House has finally opened debate on the 'rule' for President Biden's "Build Back Better Act." While the debate and an eventual vote on the rule governing the legislation is a necessary procedural step, lawmakers won't vote on whether to pass the actual bill tonight.
Following the debate, House lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which already passed the Senate in August. It's still unclear if Democratic leaders can secure enough support from progressives to pass the infrastructure bill.
“The President is speaking with House leadership, progressives, and moderates in an effort to come to a solution. And he has been urging a vote tonight," a White House official told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have canceled a planned trip to Rehoboth, Delaware and will remain in Washington, D.C. for the time being. The change of plans was announced as Biden and other Democratic leaders try to rally enough support among progressives to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a vote tonight.
Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich reported the Biden was personally calling progressive holdouts who are considering voting down the bill.
According to Fox News' Chad Pergram, a "large coalition" of progressive lawmakers are threatening to vote against the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Democratic leaders are set to bring the infrastructure bill up for a vote Friday against the wishes of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose members say the House should vote on the infrastructure bill and the social spending bill at the same time.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer expressed confidence about the state of play on President Biden's infrastructure and social spending bills. The House will vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill tonight, but leaders were forced to delay a vote on the spending bill.
Hoyer told reporters the House's scheduled debate and vote on the reconciliation "rule" for the spending bill later Friday would be a "giant step forward" toward passage, even though Democrats won't yet vote on whether to pass the bill itself.
“I’m absolutely convinced, beyond a doubt, that before Thanksgiving, the week of the 15th, we will pass the Build Back Better legislation," Hoyer said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democratic leaders “had hoped to be able bring both bills to the floor today," but opted to “honor requests” from some lawmakers for more clarity on the legislation's financial implications.
Pelosi said she expected many progressives to vote in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, despite their stance that both bills should be brought up for a vote at the same time.
“The fact is, we believed it is necessary to pass the [infrastructure bill] so that these jobs can come online as soon as possible," Pelosi said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved to save face with a procedural vote on Democrats' reconciliation bill Friday after an effort to pass it stalled yet again when a small group of moderates demanded the House wait for scores from the Congressional Budget Office.
But that plan, which includes a vote on the infrastructure bill as well, may also backfire on top Democrats due to progressive opposition to passing infrastructure without reconciliation.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus reiterated that "dozens" of its members want to vote on both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Biden spending bill together. The group said it was willing to hold off on votes to satisfy requests from some Democratic lawmakers that the Congressional Budget Office "score" the spending bill first.
“However, if our six colleagues still want to wait for a CBO score, we would agree to give them that time — after which point we can vote on both bills together," the caucus said in a statement.
This stance appears to conflict with timing provided by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leaders. The House is set to debate the procedural "rule" for the spending bill this afternoon, and then vote on whether to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The chamber is not expected to vote on the spending bill today. It remains unclear if progressives will vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill on its own.
Read the Congressional Progressive Caucus' full statement here:
“As we’ve consistently said, there are dozens of our members who want to vote both bills — the Build Back Better Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — out of the House together. We now understand that there are six Democratic members who want to have a formal CBO score on Build Back Better before voting.
“A full accounting of the spending and revenue has been provided by the White House, numerous pieces of the legislation have already been scored, and the JCT has put out analysis that Build Back Better will contribute to reducing the deficit.
“However, if our six colleagues still want to wait for a CBO score, we would agree to give them that time — after which point we can vote on both bills together.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's letter to Democratic colleagues indicates leadership no longer plans to bring the social spending bill up for a vote on Friday.
Read the full letter below:
Dear Democratic Colleague,
It is with enormous respect for the greatness and patience of our House Democratic Members that I write to describe a path forward For The People.
In order to make progress on the President’s vision it is important that we advance the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework and the Build Back Better Act today.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework rule and debate have already happened. Now, we will bring to the Floor the BIF and a rule for consideration of the Build Back Better Act.
The agenda that we are advancing is transformative and historic, hence challenging.
Thank you for your leadership For The People.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told members Friday afternoon that the House plans to vote on both the procedural rule to advance Democrats' reconciliation spending bill and the infrastructure bill.
That is a change from the morning, when Democrats planned to vote on infrastructure, the rule for reconciliation and the reconciliation bill all in the same day.
A "rule" in the House is what brings a bill to the floor ahead of a final vote.
It appears this is a move to make at least some progress on President Biden's agenda despite the fact some moderate Democrats are refusing to vote to pass the reconciliation bill without a score from the Congressional Budget Office.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., informed lawmakers will begin debate on the reconciliation "rule" for the spending bill, dubbed the Build Back Better Act, on Friday afternoon at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET. Democratic leaders have yet to specify when lawmakers will vote on the spending bill itself.
Following the debate on the rule, lawmakers will vote on whether to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
According to Fox News' Kelly Phares, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said Friday that the House of Representatives will vote on a rule to advance Democrats' reconciliation bill today, and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
But it took mere minutes for a senior leadership source to shoot down Beatty's suggestion, telling Fox News' Chad Pergram that is "what Joyce Beatty thinks we should do."
A vote on the reconciliation rule would allow Democrats to claim progress without actually passing the reconciliation bill itself. It's not clear whether members would be on board with such a plan.
After the false alarm, the House continues its holding pattern.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy argued Thursday that Democrats are not learning their lesson from the elections in New Jersey and Virginia this week, which Republicans argue amounted to a rejection of progressive policies in Democrats' reconciliation bill.
"Tuesday's results show an important truth. Voters from Virginia to Texas to Seattle to Minneapolis to New Jersey sent a mandate to their elected officials, stop catering to the progressive left," McCarthy, R-Calif., said.
He added: "You got thousands of millions of voters who just gave you a very clear message, and where are the Democrats today? Breaking their own rules, setting new records of just keeping votes open, and trying to intimidate and bully members to vote for something. … The vote today is rushed and irresponsible."
Top Democrats projected confidence late Thursday night that they would be able to jam through their reconciliation spending bill and the infrastructure bill in the same day – legislation amounting to a whopping $3 trillion.
But a handful of moderate Democrats who are demanding scores from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) before voting on reconciliation are holding up any vote. As a side effect of the delay, a motion to adjourn in the House put forward by Republicans was held open for well over four hours, setting a record for the longest roll call vote in House history.
House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said Friday that "there will be forward movement" on Democrats' reconciliation bill, according to Fox News' Liz Frieden.
Clyburn made the comment while walking into the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
It is unclear exactly what that progress would look like. Moderate Democrats appear to be in a position to delay any vote on the reconciliation bill until they get Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scores for it.
The House's original plan today was to burn through two hours of debate on the reconciliation bill, then take votes on a rule to advance the reconciliation bill, the reconciliation bill itself, and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Progressive House members are making their displeasure with their moderate counterparts known Friday as the chamber slogs through its sixth consecutive hour of a vote on a motion to adjourn.
That vote is being held open because despite optimism from party leadership, it appears Democrats will not have the votes to pass their reconciliation bill Friday thanks to a few moderate holdouts. Those members are asking for the chamber to wait for Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scores on the bill.
"Can’t wait for the full on slammed news cycle about how conservative Dems held up Biden’s bill the week of the elections for sudden demands for CBO scores and tax cuts for people with $1 million+ incomes," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted "[W]on't hold my breath for it though."
".@POTUS has asked House Democrats to vote for both bills today—for the American people. I hope the small handful of my colleagues who have not yet committed to voting for these broadly popular bills will do the right thing," Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., tweeted.
"Seriously, I think it’s more likely I will get calls from constituents asking what the CBO is rather than asking for a CBO score. Let’s go," Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said in response to the possibility the CBO scores could take multiple weeks to come back.
Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., shot back, saying that Pocan should not be so dismissive of CBO scores.
"The right answer here is to inform constituents on the important work the Congressional Budget Office does to ensure their representative in Congress understands the fiscal impact prior to voting on legislation," Meijer said. "Or you can vote blindly and wait to find out what it does later."
Unless moderates agree to back off of their demand for CBO scores -- or something else changes -- it appears lawmakers will have little to do Friday afternoon but tweet.
It will take weeks for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to produce a score for Democrats' reconciliation bill -- potentially until Thanksgiving.
"The Congressional Budget Office has not shown the American people exactly how much this bill will cost as required by the Congressional Budget Act and the rules of our House," Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Friday as he railed against the reconciliation bill.
"And the CBO reports that they will only arrive as American families get an enormous receipt from their Thanksgiving dinner. There will not be a CBO score until Thanksgiving," he added.
According to its website, "On average, it takes about two weeks for CBO to produce a formal estimate, although sometimes estimates are produced the same day they are requested and occasionally the period extends to several weeks."
Notably, the 2,000-plus page reconciliation bill is larger than most legislation the CBO considers.
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Thursday said there is a chance the estimate could come quickly.
"We have been all along... we've been sending things to CBO. This is not new to them," Pelosi said. "The CBO also has been… They have most of the information now they have new information."
The CBO did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Friday.
A handful of Democrats are withholding their votes on the reconciliation bill because there is not yet a CBO score -- only scoring from the Joint Committee on Taxation and the White House. Democrats can only lose three votes and still pass the bill.
If moderates stick to their demand of a CBO score before voting on reconciliation, that means the Senate will not get its hands on the bill until almost December. Then, Democrats will also be up against deadlines to fund the government, pass a defense authorization bill, and avoid a debt default.
From Fox News' Chad Pergram:
We’ve heard for weeks about Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.
How about “The Others.”
It’s the “others” who are causing a problem for House Democrats today as they try to advance the social spending bill.
Democrats need most if not all of these “others” if they’re going to pass their bill and only have a three vote turning radius.
Some of those “others” are Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., leader of the Blue Dogs, Reps. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Scott Peters, D-Calif., Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., Ed Case, D-Hawaii, Ron Kind, D-Wis., Carolyn Bordeaux, D-Ga., and others.
There are concerns about the cost of the bill, the CBO score – which won’t be available for weeks – and changes in the prescription drug language.
Democrats thought the evaluations from the Treasury Department, White House and Joint Committee on Taxation would satisfy some of the members who had reservations. But apparently not. At least not yet.
The House of Representatives has been in a holding pattern all morning as Democrats, apparently lacking votes to pass their reconciliation bill, held open a GOP vote to adjourn for hours.
And now that vote is the longest in House of Representatives history, according to Fox News' Chad Pergram.
The vote started shortly after 8 a.m. and has now dragged for over three-and-a-half hours.
"This is the longest vote held open in the history of Congress, just because they don't have the votes on the bill today," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Friday as he slammed Democrats for their reconciliation bill.
Fox News' Chad Pergram breaks down the status of Democrats' talks on their massive reconciliation spending bill and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Fox News' Hillary Vaughn reports that shortly after 11 a.m. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., went into the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
"We're working on it," Gottheimer told reporters as he entered.
Gottheimer was one of five House Democrats on the Tuesday letter that demanded scoring for the bill, 72 hours to read it and pre-conferencing with the Senate.
A spokesperson for Gottheimer told Fox News Thursday he is fine with just Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) scoring for the bill. But other moderates are demanding Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring instead.
President Biden in remarks Friday said that he will be calling lawmakers to encourage them to vote for his reconciliation spending bill, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Hill Democrats struggle to round up the votes.
"The second way to make sure recovery is fully felt is to pass my bipartisan infrastructure agreement and my Build Back Better plan which is being debated now," Biden said. "And I'm gonna be headed over there shortly after I do this press conference back to my office to make some calls."
Biden added: "I'm asking every House member... to vote 'yes' on both of these bills right now. Send the infrastructure bill to my desk. Send the Build Back Better bill to the Senate. Let's build an incredible economic progress."
Biden ignored reporter questions, including on whether the House should vote on reconciliation without a CBO score.
From Fox News' Chad Pergram:
Just to give you a sense of how long this is going to take today and where this is all headed.
The House began voting precisely two hours ago on a motion to adjourn by the GOP. That vote is STILL open.
Also, there will be a lot of body language and tea leaf reading today.
Ran into Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), the head of the moderate Blue Dogs and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY) in the basement of the Capitol. I asked them both where things stood. They were speaking in hushed tones and would not even acknowledge my presence. I asked Rice what she thought of the SALT proposal. She did not respond at all.
Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., said Friday that Democrats are hung up on whether to pass the reconciliation bill without a CBO score, as some moderates demand a vote be delayed until a score is released.
"You have to have a CBO score with the senate anyway. And I imagine as everyone does there is going to be some changes made on the senate side so we’ll have time," Kind said according to Fox News' Liz Friden.
House Republicans plan to use the procedural delay tactics at their disposal Friday to interfere with Democrats' plans to pass their massive reconciliation spending bill and the infrastructure bill.
A notice from Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told members to expect "Republican procedural votes... throughout the day."
Republicans did not wait long before calling for a vote on a motion to adjourn, which has dragged on for nearly an hour and 20 minutes.
Fox News' Chad Pergram reports there is not yet any guidance on timing for votes on the reconciliation bill or the infrastructure bill.
There appear to be a handful of moderate holdouts remaining, but Fox News' Kelly Phares reports that Democratic leaders are confident they can round up the votes needed to pass both bills Friday.
Top House Democrats are confident that they can pass their massive reconciliation spending bill Friday after major progress in their negotiations late Thursday – but a few moderate holdouts with procedural demands remain, and their votes will be key to whether Democrats can indeed get the bill through.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., and Ed Case, D-Hawaii, all signed a letter Tuesday demanding 72 hours to review the final bill text, "the proper CBO/JCT scoring information" and clearance with the Senate that the bill will not be changed once the House passes it.
There is a Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) score for the bill, but the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released nothing, and it's not clear when it will. There's been no effort to pre-conference the bill with the Senate, and it is now widely expected the upper chamber will make significant changes to it.
There's been no effort to work with the Senate to make sure it won't change the bill after it passes the House – known as pre-conferencing – and it is now widely expected the upper chamber will make significant changes to it.
There were changes made to the bill late Thursday night in the House Rules Committee, meaning 72 hours with the final bill text would be late Sunday night.
"While there has been progress to address some of his concerns, there remain significant issues he is still working to address in the substance of the bill," a spokesman for Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, told Fox News Thursday. "That is in addition to the conditions he laid out earlier this week… around a CBO score, time to review, and pre-conferencing. I think you’ll agree those conditions have not been met."
Case also told CNN he is sticking by the position laid out in the Tuesday letter and wants a CBO score.
Gottheimer was more equivocal in Thursday comments, and a spokesman told Fox News the JCT score would be enough for him to satisfy his scoring-related concerns about the bill.
Despite those apparently outstanding concerns, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told members Thursday the chamber will vote on both the reconciliation bill and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Fox News reached out to the offices of all five members – Gottheimer, Golden, Murphy, Schrader and Case – late Thursday after Hoyer's announcement. None answered whether they will vote for reconciliation Thursday.
From Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Megan Henney:
While congressional Democrats work overtime to pass a massive social spending and human infrastructure package, some of the most recent public opinion polling indicates the bill may not have the support of most Americans.
And while specific provisions included in the overall proposal appear to be popular with much of the public, surveys suggest that many people feel the measure won’t improve the economy or positively impact their own lives.
Americans were divided (34% to 34%) on whether both bills would help or hurt the economy, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 29-30. About a quarter of those surveyed were unsure of how the measures, which cost roughly $3 trillion combined, would impact the nation’s economy.
But when it comes to their own personal finances, more Americans say they're concerned about potential ramifications from the spending packages. The poll indicated that a plurality of respondents, or about 32%, said the bills will hurt people like them if they become law, compared to a quarter who thought the measures would help them. Nearly a fifth questioned said the bills would make no difference in their lives, with a quarter not sure.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Mike Sherrill, D-N.J., in a late night statement Wednesday lauded a last-second change to the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions for Americans in high-tax states.
"We have been fighting this unfair, targeted tax since its inception in 2017. This agreement to address the cap on our State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction will effectively eliminate the undue burden for nearly all of the families in our districts who’ve been unfairly double taxed for the last four years," the trio said.
"This fix will put money back in the pockets of hardworking, middle class families in our districts and help ensure that our local communities can continue making the investments that we need. We’re confident that with this agreement, we can move forward on this crucially important package," they added.
They were among several lawmakers in both the House and Senate who wanted to get rid of the cap, which Republicans put in place under former President Donald Trump, and therefore give their constituents tax relief.
But Republicans and progressives attacked the idea of removing the SALT cap because its effect would be giving a major tax break mostly to rich people.
The late Wednesday fix, done via manager's amendment in the House Rules Committee, would increase the cap from $10,000 to $80,000, apparently in an effort to allow middle-class earners to take advantage of the deduction while still hitting extremely high earners.
It remains to be seen whether this agreement in the House bill will fly in the Senate.
Democratic leaders are on track to bring both President Biden’s social spending bill and the bipartisan infrastructure bill up for votes on Friday following weeks of intense negotiations with progressive and moderate holdouts.
The House Rules Committee is slated to meet throughout the night to finalize the text of Biden’s spending bill, dubbed the "Build Back Better Act." The legislation is expected to outline roughly $1.75 trillion in spending over a 10-year period.
When the bill is finalized, the House will debate and vote on the "rule" for the spending bill and then vote on whether to pass the bill itself. House lawmakers will also vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is focused on physical projects. The House already debated the infrastructure bill, likely fast-tracking a final vote.
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A group of climate change protesters boasted about blockading Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's car on Thursday, accusing the moderate lawmaker of trying to run them over in his attempt to drive through a parking garage.
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