Infrastructure Vote Approaches Without Final Agreement in Place

The Senate barreled toward a pair of Wednesday deadlines for advancing much of President Biden’s multitrillion-dollar economic agenda, with lawmakers bracing for a procedural vote on a still-forming $1 trillion infrastructure plan to fail as bipartisan negotiations dragged on.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has set a vote for Wednesday to begin consideration of infrastructure legislation, a step that Republicans have said they would oppose absent more details on its contents and how it would be paid for.

Mr. Schumer is also pushing for all 50 members of the Democratic caucus to agree on Wednesday to a $3.5 trillion outline for a broad antipoverty and climate package they are pursuing in parallel to the bipartisan infrastructure talks. Democrats on the Budget Committee and Mr. Schumer had announced a deal on the budget framework last week.

While Democrats are planning to pass the $3.5 trillion plan through a budget process that requires a simple majority in the Senate, they will need the support of at least 10 Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold to advance the separate infrastructure deal. Several Republicans involved in the infrastructure talks said they would vote against the procedural motion on Wednesday without a completed agreement on infrastructure.

“We have a pretty good sense of where our members are. They won’t get 60,” Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R., S.D.) said of Wednesday’s vote. “Our members are committed to actually having a bill and scores and all that kind of stuff before they vote to get on a bill.”

Mr. Schumer said the Wednesday vote was a way to begin the floor process for considering legislation, while still allowing negotiations to continue.

“It is not a final deadline for legislative text. It is not a cynical ploy. It is not a fish-or-cut-bait moment. It is not an attempt to jam anyone,” he said.