House sends infrastructure bill with EV provisions to Biden; tax credit for electric vehicles built by unions delayed

Biden, in his statement, said he looked forward to signing them and that “in generations people will look back and know that is when America won the 21st economic competition. century”.

His upbeat statement came after House and White House leaders spent hours trying to keep the legislation on track, with both wings of the Democratic Party expressing distrust.

“I have spoken to the President on several occasions today and the President appreciates that we are working in good faith with the agreement of our colleagues,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal, leader of the Progressive Congressional Caucus. “We are going to trust each other because the Democratic Party is together on this point, we are united on the fact that it is important for us to succeed in both bills.”

A statement from the group of moderates including Reps Stephanie Murphy and Josh Gottheimer said they would commit to voting for the economic package “in its current form” as long as the Congressional Budget Office score is consistent with House estimates. White on costs and revenues.

The back-and-forths throughout the day and threats from both factions to scuttle any action have frustrated some lawmakers.

“We started this day thinking we had a deal, thinking we were going to vote – we were excited to vote,” said Representative Jared Huffman, a progressive from California. “And then a small cohort of our colleagues moved the goalposts.”

Yet not all progressives were ready to make the deal. The six Democratic “no” votes were all part of a group of progressives often referred to as the team: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Cori Bush of Missouri and Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts.

“I cannot in good conscience support the infrastructure bill without first voting on the president’s transformation agenda,” Omar said in a statement.

The 13 Republican “yes” votes included Fred Upton of Michigan, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and John Katko of New York.

With the vote uncertain for much of the day, Biden called House Democrats and postponed his plans to leave Washington on Friday for his home in Delaware. From the White House, he continued to pressure Democrats late into the night.

The public works bill rises to over $ 1.2 trillion when routine highway dollars are factored in. Biden promoted it as a vital step in meeting the challenge of a rising China and a test of Washington’s policy-making abilities in an era of strong partisan opposition. Split.

House Republicans have argued that he is not focusing enough on roads and that passing it will “unlock” the social spending bill, which they say will generate inflation.

“The Senate infrastructure bill and the massive tax and spending frenzy are not the will of the American people. people to build better lives, ”Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington state, said during the floor debate.

The bill’s passage came after Democrats missed two deadlines in September and October to act on the bill, despite personal appeals from the president.

For months, the progressives had effectively blocked the infrastructure bill, refusing their support – necessary for its passage – to leverage moderate parties in the fight against the larger bill, reserved for Democrats. .