Pelosi: 'Self-evident' Democrats' reconciliation bill will be smaller than $3.5 trillion

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that it "seems self-evident" Democrats' reconciliation bill will ultimately be smaller than its current $3.5 trillion price tag as she gears up to push it through the lower chamber alongside the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Still, she doesn't think that changes the importance of the proposal, adding that even those who want to reduce the scale somewhat, like centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), still support President Biden's "vision." Either way, the package is "transformative," Pelosi said.
But it appears that the continuing debate over the reconciliation bill means neither it nor the infrastructure bill will get a vote in the House on Monday as Pelosi originally planned. Progressive Democrats have maintained they'll oppose the infrastructure package if the reconciliation poll isn't ready, and Pelosi, who's operating with a slim majority, said she'll "never bring a bill to the floor that doesn't have the votes." The speaker said there's still a chance things could be settled as early as Monday, but she sounded more willing to push it back if necessary than she previously has.
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.
-
The party bringing Trump-style populism to Japan
Under The Radar Far-right party is ‘Rise of Sanseito is ‘shattering’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism
-
Southern barbecue: This year’s top three
Feature A weekend-only restaurant, a 90-year-old pitmaster, and more
-
Film reviews: Anemone and The Smashing Machine
Feature A recluse receives an unwelcome guest and a pioneering UFC fighter battles addiction
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US