民主党众议院和参议院领导人周四宣布，他们和白宫已就一个“框架”达成协议，该框架将为3.5万亿美元的庞大人力基础设施法案的大部分(如果不是全部的话)买单——此举旨在减轻温和派和中间派民主党人对高额价格标签的担忧。
但是在总统上任一天后，领导人对框架提供的细节很少乔·拜登在白宫会见了民主党领袖、温和派和进步派将他的议程从民主党内斗中拯救出来的努力。众议院议长南希·佩洛西也没有提供和解法案何时准备投票的明确纲要。
她也没有承诺将两党基础设施法案提交下周一进行投票，她曾承诺温和派会参与投票。
参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)和财政部长珍妮特·耶伦(Janet Yellen)也加入了佩洛西的每周新闻发布会，因为民主党人也面临着10月1日政府可能关闭的威胁，他们仍然需要处理债务上限问题，而共和党人不会支持这个问题。
“白宫、众议院和参议院已经就一个框架达成一致，该框架将为任何最终谈判达成的协议买单。因此，在收入方面，我们有一个协议，”舒默告诉记者。
佩洛西补充说:“我们知道我们可以涵盖总统提出的条款。“都挺好的。”
这一宣布旨在为那些温和的中间派民主党人提供一些缓解，如参议员乔·曼钦和基斯顿·西内马，他们不支持3.5万亿美元的数字。
但是佩洛西和舒默提供的实际细节很少。到目前为止，领导人还没有接近达成和解法案，这意味着两党基础设施法案的命运悬而未决。
“根据需要，我们就一系列协议的框架达成了协议。现在与此同时，我们正在最终确定支出方面，所以如果我们需要更多，我们需要更少——这将影响我们在那里做出的选择，”佩洛西说。
佩洛西也没有承诺下周将参议院已经通过的两党基础设施法案提交讨论。
佩洛西告诉记者:“我们一天一次”。“我有信心我们会通过这两项法案。”
佩洛西也没有明确表示3.5万亿美元是否会保持在最高水平，或者这个数字是否会改变并下降。
“这不是价格标签的问题。这是关于法案中的内容，”佩洛西说。
新闻发布会后，记者们赶上了佩洛西，并要求了解更多关于该框架的细节。
当记者暗示他们掌握的细节太少时，佩洛西回应道:“那是你的问题，不是我的。”
新闻发布会后，许多接近谈判桌的参议员表示，他们对新的框架协议一无所知。
参议院预算委员会主席伯尼·桑德斯说，他“不知道”该协议是什么。他告诉记者，他希望“如果有一个框架的话”能很快得到简报。
“我们已经经历了一百万次了。关于如何以公平和渐进的方式筹集资金并筹集至少3.5万亿美元，有许多方法，”桑德斯说。“如果菜单是这样的，那就没什么特别新的东西了。”
预算委员会中的温和派民主党人马克·华纳(Mark Warner)曾密切参与与总统就和解计划进行的谈判，他告诉记者，他对框架中的内容“一无所知”。
华纳告诉记者，他“和你一样有兴趣了解这些细节。”
参议院财政委员会主席罗恩·怀登·多雷。，但拒绝透露讨论或决定的细节。
“就美国的税收公平而言，这是我们所需要的核心，这就是我们今天上午的处境，”怀登在回避关于顶线或任何同意“付费”的问题时说
参议员们说，他们预计周四会从领导层那里得到更多关于框架的信息。
民主党领导人也不得不应对10月1日可能的关闭，但佩洛西坚称将避免关闭。
佩洛西告诉记者，共和党人可能会在提高债务上限问题上让步，因为“公众情绪决定一切。”
但她表示，两院将尽一切努力，通过所谓的“持续决议”保持政府开放，维持目前的资金水平，这可能意味着他们将不得不在晚些时候处理债务上限问题。
“我们将在9月30日之前保持政府开放...继续讨论债务上限。不管是什么，我们将在9月30日之前有一个两院通过的宪法修正案，”佩洛西说。
Schumer, Pelosi announce 'framework' to pay for $3.5T infrastructure bill
Democratic House and Senate leaders on Thursday announced they and the White House have reached agreement on a "framework" that will pay for most, if not all, of the massive $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill -- a move meant to mitigate concerns from moderate and centrist Democrats opposed to the hefty price tag.
But the leaders provided very little details on the framework a day after PresidentJoe Bidenmet with Democratic leaders, moderates and progressives at the White House in aneffort to save his agenda from Democratic infighting.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also did not provide a clear outline about when the reconciliation bill will be ready for a vote.
She also did not commit to putting the bipartisan infrastructure bill on the floor for a vote next Monday, which she had promised moderates would happen.
Pelosi was joined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at her weekly press conference, as Democrats also face a looming possible government shutdown on Oct. 1 and still need to deal with the debt ceiling, which Republicans will not support.
"The White House, the House and the Senate have reached agreement on a framework that will pay for any final negotiated agreement. So, the revenue side of this, we have an agreement on," Schumer told reporters.
"We know that we can cover the provisions the president has put forward," Pelosi added. "It's all good."
This announcement is meant to provide some relief to those moderate, centrist Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who do not support that $3.5 trillion number.
But Pelosi and Schumer provided very little on actual details. As of right now, leaders are no closer to having a reconciliation bill -- which means the fate of the bipartisan infrastructure bill hangs in the balance.
"We came to terms as to a framework of an array of agreements that we have, depending on what the need is. Now at the same time, we're finalizing on the outlay side, so if we need more, we need less -- that will impact the choices we make there," Pelosi said.
Pelosi also did not commit to putting the bipartisan infrastructure bill that has already passed in the Senate on the floor next week.
"We take it one day at time," Pelosi told reporters. "I am confident that we will pass both bills."
Pelosi also did not make clear if $3.5 trillion will remain the topline, or if that figure could change and drop lower.
"This is not about price tag. This is about what is in the bill," Pelosi said.
Following the press conference, reporters caught up with Pelosi and pressed for more details on the framework.
When reporters suggested they had too few details, Pelosi responded, "well that's your problem, not mine."
Following the press conference, many senators close to the negotiation table say they are in the dark about the new framework agreement.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders said he has "no idea" what the agreement is. He told reporters he hopes to be briefed on it soon "if there is a framework."
"We've been through this a million times. There are many many approaches as to how you can raise money in a fair and progressive way and raise at least 3.5 trillion dollars," Sanders said. "If that's what the menu is there is nothing then nothing particularly new I think."
Sen. Mark Warner, a moderate Democrat on the Budget committee who has been intimately involved in negotiations with the president on the reconciliation plan told reporters he has not the "foggiest idea" what is in the framework.
Warner told reporters he was "as interested in getting those details as you are."
Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he was in meetings over the framework, but declined to give many details about what was discussed or decided upon.
"It went right to the heart of what we need in terms of tax fairness in America and that's where we are this morning," Wyden said while dodging questions about a topline or any agreed to "payfors."
Senators said they expected to receive more information from leadership Thursday on what the framework is.
Democratic leaders also have to contend with a potential shutdown on Oct. 1, but Pelosi insisted a shutdown would be avoided.
Pelosi told reporters Republicans could cave on raising the debt ceiling because "public sentiment is everything."
But she indicated that both chambers will do everything they can to keep the government open via a so-called "continuing resolution" that maintains current funding levels, which may mean they will have to deal with the debt ceiling at a later time.
"We will keep the government open by September 30 ... and continue the conversation about the debt ceiling. Whatever it is, we will have a CR that passes both houses by September 30," Pelosi said.
