就在周三休会前，参议院批准了一项1.1万亿美元的基础设施法案和一项额外的3.5万亿美元的一揽子计划，其中包含了进步的优先事项，民主党人很快庆祝了罕见的连续胜利，但这是一个在任何一项法案提交给总统签署成为法律之前，都还有很长的路要走。
众议院预计将在8月23日的那一周就3.5万亿美元的预算决议进行投票，该决议为国会勉强通过一项庞大的一揽子计划铺平了道路，该计划充满了社会和进步的优先事项，包括应对气候变化、资助全民预检和改革移民法——但与两党基础设施法案不同，这项法案没有共和党的支持。
一旦该决议获得通过，参众两院的委员会将开始起草政策和立法，最终成为所谓的“和解”法案，只需简单的多数就能让参议院通过。
不过，预计众议院不会对1.1万亿美元的基础设施法案进行投票，该法案在参议院获得两党支持后，将于8月下旬重返参议院。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西誓言将坚持该法案，直到众议院从参议院获得更大的和解法案，这可能需要几周甚至几个月的时间才能最终确定。
“我不是自由职业者。这是共识，”据消息人士透露，佩洛西在周三下午的民主党核心小组电话会议上告诉同事。
“总统说他完全支持两党合作的方式……太棒了!这是进步，但不是全部，”佩洛西说。
“众议院和参议院的投票取决于我们是否拥有这两项法案，”她补充道。
但是当涉及到这些法案的命运时，民主党的核心小组出现了一些分歧。民主党在众议院仅占三个席位的多数。只要有足够的决心挑战佩洛西和白宫，任何少数成员都可能成为潜在的障碍。
众议院中温和的民主党人和共和党人已经团结起来支持两党达成的1.1万亿美元基础设施协议在参议院，也是其在议院中呼声最高的支持者之一，但他们希望佩洛西和民主党领导人不加修改地将参议院法案提交讨论，这样法案就可以迅速通过，并提交给拜登总统。
新泽西州众议员乔希·戈特海默(Josh Gottheimer)和其他议员在给佩洛西的一封信中写道:“这项百年一遇的投资值得自己考虑，而不必考虑其他立法。
然而，进步人士对参议院批准的法案的规模和范围颇有微词。他们希望在基础设施上“做大”——从6万亿美元到10万亿美元不等——但仍在私下推动修改参议院法案，或将其与众议院交通和基础设施委员会主席起草的类似众议院法案相协调。
民主党人还将不得不与他们自己政党的成员竞争，即西弗吉尼亚州的森斯·乔·曼钦(Sens. Joe Manchin)和亚利桑那州的基尔斯顿·西内马(Kyrsten Sinema)，他们都对更大的和解法案的价格标签表示保留。
周三，曼钦发表声明，称赞参议院两党基础设施协议，但他对3.5万亿美元法案的进步愿望泼了一盆冷水。
D-w . va . Manchin在一份声明中表示:“今天凌晨，我对推进预算和解进程的程序性投票投了‘是’，因为我认为讨论这个国家的财政政策未来非常重要。“然而，如果国会决定再支出3.5万亿美元，我对西弗吉尼亚人和每个美国家庭面临的严重后果感到严重关切。”
白宫周三表示，乔·拜登总统对3.5万亿美元的价格“感到满意”，但不排除谈判成本。
参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)在周三的新闻发布会上被问及曼钦的言论，他对民主党人将团结一致表示乐观，并暗示民主党人最终不会考虑降低价格。
纽约民主党参议员舒默说:“我的党团中有些人可能认为这太多了，我的党团中有些人可能认为这太少了。“我可以告诉你这一点:在和解中，一，我们将共同努力完成一些事情，二，它将以一种大胆有力的方式包含拜登计划的每一部分。”
舒默补充说，这“绝对不容易”，但他说，“我们核心小组的每个成员都意识到团结是我们的力量……我们必须团结起来。”
“这是我们在美国参议院长期以来最重要的立法日之一，但我们仍有很长的路要走。就好像我们接到了一个传球，一个漂亮的中场长传——但是在我们触地得分之前，我们还有50码的距离，”舒默说。
当议员们在休会期间重返国会时，他们正在努力使这两项庞大的法案获得通过，他们还必须在9月底之前通过一项为政府提供资金和提高债务上限的法案。
美国财政部长珍妮特·耶伦周一敦促国会通过两党行动提高国债限额。
舒默周三表示，他不相信共和党人会让美国债务违约，因为政府接近目前的借贷能力。
“我不敢相信共和党会让这个国家违约，处理债务上限问题一直是两党合作的，”舒默告诉记者，他指出，在共和党前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)的领导下，民主党人支持债务上限提高三倍。
46名共和党参议员本周签署了一封信，申明他们不会投票提高债务上限。
参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)周一在参议院表示:“我们两党的朋友不应该指望传统的两党借款来资助他们非传统的不计后果的税收和支出狂欢。”。“事情不是这样的。”
Rocky road ahead for infrastructure bill, $3.5 trillion budget plan
Democrats were quick to celebrate rare back-to-back victories when the Senate approved both a $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill and an additional $3.5 trillion package piled high with progressive priorities just before adjourning for recess on Wednesday – but it’s arocky road ahead before either bill makes it to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
The House is expected to return the week of Aug. 23 to vote on the $3.5 trillion budget resolution that paves the way for Congress to squeak out a behemoth package filled to the brim with social and progressive priorities, including combatting climate change, funding universal pre-K, and reforming immigration law – but unlike the bipartisan infrastructure bill, this one with zero Republican support.
Once the resolution is passed, committees in both the House and Senate will begin their work drafting policy and legislation that will eventually become what’s called a "reconciliation" bill that can clear the Senate with just a simple majority.
The House is not expected, though, to vote on the $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill that passed with bipartisan support in the Senate when the chamber returns in late August.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to hold on to that bill until the lower chamber gets the larger reconciliation bill from the Senate, which could take weeks, if not months, to be finalized.
"I am not freelancing. This is the consensus," Pelosi told colleagues on a Democratic caucus call Wednesday afternoon, according to sources.
“The president has said he’s all for the bipartisan approach … bravo! That’s progress, but it ain’t the whole vision,” Pelosi said.
“The votes in the House and Senate depend on us having both bills,” she added.
But there are some fractures in the Democratic caucus when it comes to the fate of those bills. Democrats have just a three-seat majority in the House. Any handful of members can be potential roadblocks if they are determined enough to challenge Pelosi and the White House.
Moderate Democrats and Republicans in the House have rallied behind thebipartisan $1.1 trillion infrastructure agreementin the Senate and are among its most vocal supporters in the chamber, but they want Pelosi and Democratic leaders to put the Senate bill on the floor without changes, so it can pass quickly and head to President Biden’s desk.
"This once-in-a-century investment deserves its own consideration, without regard to other legislation," Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and other members wrote in a letter to Pelosi.
Progressives, however, have grumbled about the size and scope of the Senate-approved bill. They wanted to "go big" on infrastructure – anywhere from $6 to $10 trillion – and are still privately pushing for changes to the Senate bill or reconciling it with a similar House bill crafted by the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Democrats will also have to contend with members of their own party, namely Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both of whom have expressed reservations about the price tag of the larger reconciliation bill.
On Wednesday, Manchin released a statement hailing the bipartisan infrastructure agreement in the Senate, but he poured cold water on progressive aspirations for the $3.5 trillion bill.
"Early this morning, I voted ‘YES’ on a procedural vote to move forward on the budget reconciliation process because I believe it is important to discuss the fiscal policy future of this country," Manchin, D-W.Va., said in a statement. "However, I have serious concerns about the grave consequences facing West Virginians and every American family if Congress decides to spend another $3.5 trillion."
The White House said Wednesday President Joe Biden was "comfortable" with the $3.5 trillion price tag, but did not rule out negotiating the cost.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was asked about Manchin’s remarks at a press conference Wednesday, and he expressed optimism that Democrats will stand united and suggested Democrats will not consider lowering the price tag in the end.
"There are some in my caucus who might believe it's too much there are some in my caucus who might believe it's too little," Schumer, D-N.Y., said. "I can tell you this: in reconciliation, one, we are going to all come together to get something done and two, it will have every part of the Biden plan in a big bold robust way."
Schumer added that it will "absolutely not" "be easy," but said "every member of our caucus realizes that unity is our strength … we have to come together."
“This was one of the most significant legislative days we've had in a long time in the U.S. Senate, but we still have a long road to travel. It’s as if we caught a pass, a nice long pass at midfield - but we’ve still got 50 yards to go before we score a touchdown,” Schumer said.
As lawmakers wrestle these two massive bills through Congress when they return from recess, they will also have to pass a bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling before the end of September.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged Congress to raise the national debt limit through bipartisan action.
Schumer on Wednesday said he did not believe Republicans would let the U.S. default on its debt as the government approaches it current borrowing capacity.
"I cannot believe the Republicans will let the country default, and it has always been bipartisan to deal with the debt ceiling," Schumer told reporters, noting Democrats backed debt limit increases three times under former Republican President Donald Trump.
46 Republican senators signed onto a letter this week affirming that they will not vote to raise the debt ceiling.
"Our friends across the aisle should not expect traditional bipartisan borrowing to finance their nontraditional reckless taxing and spending spree," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday. "That's not how this works."
