The most liberal Democrats in the House have a message for President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concerning their bipartisan infrastructure package: "It will fail."
"We had an agreement that we were going to get these two pieces," Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky said after a closed-door meeting with fellow Democrats, telling reporters infrastructure was a goner without the companion reconciliation bill. "No infrastructure bill should pass without a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill," concurred Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent socialist Democrats tapped to lead the Senate Budget Committee.
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.
McCarthy's predecessors as top Republican in the House know something about Pelosi's predicament. Dating back at least to the reign of former House Speaker John Boehner, GOP leaders have often found themselves at the mercy of their party's most ideological wing. From the Republican Study Committee to the Freedom Caucus, the conservative faction has withheld its support from leadership priorities. Some of these revolts date back even further, such as when ambitious conservatives opposed President George H.W. Bush's pledge-breaking tax increase in 1990.
Such rebellions sometimes tanked leadership-backed legislation. Other times, they forced it to pass with Democratic votes. The progressives, who have usually relented in the past on bills of this magnitude, stand ready to defy the White House and Democratic leaders as Biden loyalists give every indication of wanting to cut a deal with the moderates in the Senate on the reconciliation price tag.
Like the Tea Party before them, the progressives dare the party establishment to pass its agenda without their votes, confident that they, not the 78-year-old Biden, represent the future. But will that leave any points on the board for the Democrats' razor-thin majorities before next year's midterm elections? The Democrats' big-government wing is taking a page from the Freedom Caucus playbook. Time will tell if it pays off.
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
‘Every argument has a rational, emotional and rhetorical component’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Why is this government shutdown so consequential?Today's Big Question Federal employee layoffs could be in the thousands
-
Shutdown: Democrats stand firm, at a costFeature With Trump refusing to negotiate, Democrats’ fight over health care could push the government toward a shutdown
-
Trump’s plan for a government shutdown: mass firingsIN THE SPOTLIGHT As lawmakers scramble to avoid a shutdown, the White House is making plans for widespread layoffs that could lead to a permanent federal downsizing
-
Democrats: Harris and Biden’s blame gameFeature Kamala Harris’ new memoir reveals frustrations over Biden’s reelection bid and her time as vice president
-
Democrats might be ready for a shutdown. What do they want?Today’s Big Question A ‘hardened approach’ against Trump
-
Democrats’ strategy to woo voters for 2026: religionThe Explainer Politicians like Rob Sand and James Talarico have made a name for themselves pushing their faith
-
Graphic videos of Charlie Kirk’s death renew debate over online censorshipTalking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
