It's do or die time for the Democrats on infrastructure


Much to the surprise of many, it appears President Biden and members of Congress have come to a bipartisan agreement on an infrastructure package. The details of the plan have not yet been released, but it is widely expected to be pretty bad from progressives' point of view — probably with some privatization of assets, highway funding paid for with regressive user fees, and so forth.
However, that's not the end of the story. The rest of the Democratic Party is demanding another infrastructure bill, this one passed through the reconciliation process so it cannot be filibustered by Senate Republicans. As Greg Sargent writes at The Washington Post, the idea is to go through with a bipartisan deal to appease moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin (W. Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), and then have Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) pass the rest of the party's agenda with a reconciliation bill organized by the Senate Budget Committee (which he chairs).
More progressive Democrats in the House and Senate naturally fear that once the meager bipartisan package passes, moderates will refuse to pass anything else. Therefore on Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised she will not pass the bipartisan deal unless the reconciliation bill gets out of the Senate first, and that afternoon Biden promised the same thing. That way there would be no possibility of Senate moderates backtracking at the last second.
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.
It is crunch time for the Democrats. Doing something big on infrastructure that tackles climate change is co-equal with voting rights protections in terms of vital priorities. This plan could theoretically work, and party leaders seem confident it can happen. But the margin for error is small — just one defection in the Senate, and the whole thing falls apart. Or if Pelosi does not hold the line, the inadequate bipartisan plan will be all the party gets. Time will tell!
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
Crossword: July 5, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
The France-Indonesia push for an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution
Talking Points Both countries have said a two-state solution is the way to end the Middle East conflict
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month