This Week in Congress

It’s going to be a busy week on the Hill. On Thursday, the House will likely consider H.R. 3684, the $1.2 trillion “traditional” infrastructure bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had planned a vote on H.R. 3684 yesterday, but it was delayed when it became clear the progressive wing of the Democrat party would continue to oppose the bill unless the vote is held in tandem with the $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” bill, as Pelosi had originally promised. The original plan had to be scrapped when at least two Democrat Senators — Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) and Joe Manchin (WV) — insisted the $3.5 trillion boondoggle needed to be pared back. Without both of their votes, the bill cannot pass the Senate. At the time of this writing, progressive support remains unclear. Last night, Speaker Pelosi told the Democrat caucus the traditional infrastructure bill will be voted on this Thursday even though there is still not a deal in the Senate on the $3.5 trillion bill. The House Budget Committee did mark-up a version of the “human infrastructure” package this week. The bill increases spending to expand government’s role in health care (by expanding Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare), childcare, and new programs and regulations imposed in the name of fighting “climate change.” The committee version appears to be an “opening bid” on negotiations over the final bill. Be sure to contact your U.S. Representative and tell them to oppose both the traditional and human infrastructure bills. You can find your U.S. Representative’s number here. Yesterday, the Senate held a cloture vote on H.R. 5305, the bill funding the government through December, providing $28.6 billion in disaster aid, $6.3 billion to support Afghan refugees, and “suspending” the debt ceiling for a year. As expected, every Republican followed the lead of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and voted against cloture. McConnell and the Republicans are arguing Democrats should put the debt ceiling increase in the reconciliation bill because the Democrats are the ones increasing the debt. McConnell has a point, but so do the Democrats who point out the debt ceiling would not have been reached without the big spending increases that occurred under President Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress. You can see the cloture vote here. The House passed H.R. 5305 last Tuesday on a party-line vote of 220-211. You can see the vote here. You can read more about the debt ceiling and why those claiming it would be irresponsible for Congress not to raise it have it exactly backwards here. If a continuing resolution is not passed by Thursday, the federal government will shut down. You can read Campaign for Liberty Chairman Ron Paul on government shutdowns here, here, and here.