Pelosi holds firm to 2-bill infrastructure strategy despite pressure from moderate House Democrats

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) isn't changing her tune even after the Senate's success in passing the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Pelosi held firm on her strategy that involves waiting to vote on and likely send the infrastructure bill to President Biden's desk until after Senate Democrats pass a separate, but related $3.5 trillion budget via reconciliation. This is despite calls from moderate Democrats who are wary of the latter's high price tag and are likely prepared to battle with their progressive colleagues.
The Senate did approve a budget resolution that sets the stage for the reconciliation bill and the House is returning early from recess to consider it, but the final bill won't be taken up until September at the earliest.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in 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.
-
Where will international students go if not the US?
Talking Points China, Canada and the UK are ready to educate the world
-
5 electrifying books to read this June to spark your imagination
The Week Recommends A love story set in space, a pair of ambitious debuts and more
-
The New World screwworm is making a deadly comeback
The explainer The parasite is spreading quickly
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges