Nancy Pelosi, on the party's back and forth agenda negotiations: 'Welcome to my world'
You can't say she didn't try.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) plan to bring both the bipartisan infrastructure framework as well as the party's $1.75 trillion spending package to a vote on the House floor — after some rather direct urging from President Biden — was sidelined Friday afternoon after a group of moderates declined to pass the package without a score from the Congressional Budget Office, writes Politico.
Now, the speaker is attempting to reverse course on the long-promised tandem passage of both the infrastructure and spending bills and bring just the roads-and-bridges legislation to a Friday vote, with the hope some Republicans will join in to cover any progressive support the maneuver potentially loses.
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.
Despite all this whiplash, however, Pelosi doesn't appear to view the back and forth as Democrats getting in their own way.
"Welcome to my world. This is the Democratic party," the speaker replied when asked about Democrats' seeming self-sabotage. "It is a party of vitality and diversity, it's something that we all respect and admire."
"We are not a lock-step party," she added (as if we couldn't already tell). "That exuberance is the vitality of our party, which we value and treasure and respect the different opinions within our party."
Depending on how it all plays out, the caucus still plans to take up the Build Back Better legislation by Thanksgiving, Pelosi told reporters. But until then ... it may still be an uphill climb.
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
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why are sinkholes becoming more common?
Podcast Plus, will Saudi investment help create the "Netflix of sport"? And why has New Zealand's new tourism campaign met with a savage reception?
By The Week UK Published
-
How Poland became Europe's military power
The Explainer Warsaw has made its armed forces a priority as it looks to protect its borders and stay close to the US
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 - 21 February
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricing
Speed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firings
Speed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talks
Speed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security files
Speed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretary
Speed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffs
Speed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top US prosecutors resign rather than drop Adams case
speed read The interim US attorney for the Southern District and five senior Justice Department officials quit following an order to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms Gabbard as intelligence chief
Speed Read The controversial former Democratic lawmaker, now Trump loyalist, was sworn in as director of national intelligence
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published