Vote on debt ceiling fails, infrastructure vote expected this week

Votes on two different bills are expected to highlight this week in Washington. Those votes are on the the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, as well as a bill that would suspend the federal debt ceiling and avoid a looming government shutdown.

“Let me just say, it’s an eventful week,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Sunday.

The debt ceiling vote failed in the Senate Monday night. The video above shows some of the debate before the bill.

It was considered a test vote after the House passed a bill to suspend the debt ceiling last week. Lawmakers now have to try again before the shutdown deadline Thursday.

Thursday is also the new expected date for a vote on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. It was supposed to happen Monday, but it has been delayed so lawmakers could continue to negotiate.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who led a group of moderates in getting the bill to a House vote, said over the weekend he wouldn’t be bothered by a slight delay.

The votes on these two bill are expected to come as President Joe Biden, Rep. Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are deep into negotiations over the president’s broader $3.5 trillion proposal. Centrist and progressive factions within the Democratic Party are still split on the final price tag, as well as whether to prioritize the larger or smaller package.

Two Democratic holdouts, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have said they won’t support $3.5 trillion package. Manchin has previously indicated he would support something in the range of $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion.

Asked Sunday if she agrees the final number on the larger package wiill will be “somewhat smaller” than $3.5 trillion, Pelosi responded: “That seems self-evident.”

“We’ll see how the number comes down and what we need,” she said. “I think even those who want a smaller number, support the vision of the president, and this is really transformative.”

Meanwhile, progressives say they have already compromised enough on Biden’s big bill, having come down from the $6 trillion they had originally sought out.