Pelosi reportedly had vulnerable House Democrats remind colleagues how terrible failure would be

Nancy Pelosi
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gathered her caucus for a closed-door meeting Monday night to prepare for what one House Democrat has described as the "week from hell." In a worst-case scenario, Democrats end the week with the bipartisan infrastructure bill defeated, their (less than) $3.5 trillion Build Back Better package dead on arrival, and the government partially shut down, with limited time and options to avert a debt default in roughly two weeks.

It is unlikely Democrats will allow a government shutdown, but a standoff between a handful of centrist and progressive Democrats could very well sink President Biden's domestic agenda. Pelosi said during the 90-minute meeting that the House will still vote Thursday on the infrastructure bill (BIF), even without a commitment from hardball centrists to support the emerging BBB package, which Pelosi also said will be less than the $3.5 trillion sought by Biden and most other Democrats.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.