AOC's latest comments show how 'complicated' infrastructure bill passage will be

The Senate is growing optimistic about passing its nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill soon. The legislative text should be completed Sunday, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) indicated, and Manchin said he's hopeful the process can finish up by the end of the week. But that won't necessarily guarantee it gets to President Biden's desk.
As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) pointed out on Sunday's edition of State of the Union on CNN, the House needs to sign off on the package, as well, and she and her fellow progressive Democrats may wind up blocking it if the Senate is unable to also secure a larger budget proposal via reconciliation. "We have to hold on to that bargain," Ocasio-Cortez told host Jake Tapper, adding that she's also concerned about some of the pay-fors in the bipartisan bill. "Bipartisan doesn't always mean that it's in the interest of the public good," she said.
PunchBowl News' Amanda Palmer noted that the congresswoman's comments underscore "how complicated the next steps for infrastructure are going to be — even beyond what happens in the Senate."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
'Enforcement of rulings remains spotty at best'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Book reviews: 'King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution' and 'Gwyneth: The Biography'
Feature How the Iranian Revolution began and Gwyneth Paltrow's life in the spotlight
-
Garrett Graff's 6 favorite books that shine new light on World War II
Feature The author recommends works by James D. Hornfischer, Craig L. Symonds, and more
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps up
Speed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless
-
Ukraine, European leaders to meet Trump after Putin talks
Speed Read Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoff
Speed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Man charged for hoagie attack as DC fights takeover
Speed Read The Trump administration filed felony charges against a man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agent
-
Trump BLS nominee floats ending key jobs report
Speed Read On Fox News, E.J. Antoni suggested scrapping the closely watched monthly jobs report
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics