This Week in Congress

The Senate remains in recess until September 13^th, but the House voted this week on a procedural vote on rules for debate on three measures: a $3.5 trillion budget resolution, a $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate; and a separate voting-rights measure.  Speaker Pelosi’s plan would have the House adopt the budget resolution and pass the voting-rights legislation, but leave the infrastructure bill until the Senate completes the $3.5 trillion spending package outlined by the resolution later in the year.  However, this plan could be foiled by nine moderate Democrats led by Rep. Gottheimer (D-NJ), who threatened in an August 12^th letter to Speaker Pelosi to withhold support for the budget resolution until the House passed the infrastructure bill and sent it to President Biden for his signature.  Finally, the Senate passed its version of the infrastructure bill 69-30 on August 10^th with 19 Republicans voting in favor. The House-passed version of the bill contained a five-year reauthorization of highway, transit, and rail programs, as well as an expansion of drinking water and wastewater programs.