Dozens Of House Progressives Threaten To Withhold Support For Infrastructure Bill

Left-leaning House Democrats are threatening to withhold their support for a bipartisan infrastructure bill to pressure moderate Democrats who are looking to cut the size of a corresponding spending package, underscoring the obstacles the bill still faces even after clearing the Senate with a broad bipartisan majority.

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Progressive Caucus leaders said a majority of their 96 members said in a survey they are willing to withhold support for the bill until the Senate also adopts a “robust” spending package to fund social programs not covered by the infrastructure bill.

The letter, signed by Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal, deputy chair Katie Porter and Whip Ilhan Omar, came shortly after 69 Senators, 19 Republicans and all 50 Democrats, voted to pass the bipartisan bill.

Pelosi has vowed not to consider the infrastructure bill and President Joe Biden not to sign it without the accompanying spending bill, but Senate Democrats are still quibbling over the size of the spending bill.