On Friday night, the House of Representatives passed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill by a vote 228-206 in a major victory for President Joe Biden‘s domestic agenda. All Democrats except six progressives voted for the measure, joined by 14 Republicans.
Biden personally called wavering House Democrats who were holding the bill until there was greater clarity of the massive social welfare bill known as Build Back Better. Moderates wanted greater clarity on the bill’s costs and budget impact but were persuaded to move forward.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly told House Democrats not to “embarrass” Biden by voting down the infrastructure bill. Biden had wanted to pass the bill before arriving at the UN Climate Conference on November 1, but missed the deadline by nearly a week.
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida) said: “Unfortunately, a small number of Members within our own party denied the President — and the American people – a historic win. We are extremely frustrated that legislative obstruction of the BIF continues – not based on the bill’s merits, but because of a misguided strategy to use the bill as leverage on separate legislation.”
