Pelosi Holds Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan Hostage Until She Gets Senate Reconciliation Deal

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she won’t entertain a bipartisan infrastructure package unless the Senate delivers a larger, Democratic-only plan expected later this year which could only be passed through budget reconciliation.

“I won’t put it on the floor unless we have the rest of the initiative,” Pelosi said In Sunday comments on ABC‘s “This Week.”

Pressed on not holding a vote on infrastructure until the Senate passes a much larger package through reconciliation, @SpeakerPelosi tells @GStephanopoulos: “I won’t put it on the floor until we have the rest of the initiative.” https://t.co/gSBRSyV25B pic.twitter.com/F6OVysZdSn

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 25, 2021

Deals of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan are still being negotiated in the Senate, while Democrats are still trying to pass a $3.5 trillion proposal via budget reconciliation – which would allow for the passage via a simple majority as opposed to 60 votes.

“I hope that it will pass. I won’t put it on the floor unless we have the rest of the initiative,” said Pelosi.

Host George Stephanopoulos countered that Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) threatened last week to have Republican congressmen leave the capital in order to deny Democrats the ability to pass a partisan bill.

“You talk to Lindsey Graham about what he says,” Pelosi said. “I’m telling you what’s going to happen in the House of Representatives, and that is that we’re rooting for the infrastructure bill to pass, but we all know more needs to be done.”

Pelosi previously stated in June that the House would only consider both bills if they are first passed by the Senate. -National Review

According to Sen. Rob Portman, the bipartisan bill is “about 90 percent” there. 

“We have one issue outstanding and we’re not getting much response from the Democrats on it — it’s about mass transit,” said Portman, adding of Pelosi’s comments: “What she has just said is entirely counter to what President Biden has committed to, and what the Senate is doing, which is a two-track process,” adding “The infrastructure bill has nothing to do with the reckless tax-and-spend extravaganza she’s talking about.”

NEW: @senrobportman tells @gstephanopoulos, “I’m not happy” with @SpeakerPelosi‘s plan to hold off on a vote for the bipartisan infrastructure package.

GS: “Does that mean we’ll end up with nothing?”

Portman: “If she has her way, we could.” https://t.co/UAmMRDdzGQ pic.twitter.com/bddGMDjkr0

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 25, 2021

“The Wall Street Journal weighed in against the deal yesterday on their editorial page — It says, taking the “bi” out of bipartisan. And they write: What’s striking about the deal so far, however, is that by all appearances, this will be the most one-sided bipartisan deal in decades,” said Stephanopolous – to which Portman pushed back, saying “Every single one of the issues has been bipartisan in the sense there have been Republican views and Democrat views and we found a way to find common ground, which is exactly what ought to happen.”

.@senrobportman on infrastructure deal: “Every single one of the issues has been bipartisan in the sense there have been Republican views and Democrat views and we found a way to find common ground, which is exactly what ought to happen.” https://t.co/azD3fT0PsS pic.twitter.com/ut8DXCn2UM

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 25, 2021

.@GStephanopoulos: “Republicans voted three times to raise the debt ceiling under Pres. Trump. Why not vote to raise it now?”@senrobportman on the proposal: “It’s a huge new spending increase at a time when we have unprecedented levels of debt.” https://t.co/uN3BZVMeYt pic.twitter.com/Vw7DFOi6Y1

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 25, 2021

When pressed by Stephanopoulos on whether that could mean Congress ends up with nothing, Portman replied “If she has her way, we could.”