Divided on details, Democrats pursue "two tracks" on infrastructure legislation

Washington — Although a bipartisan group of senators reached a tentative deal on infrastructure legislation last week, congressional Democrats are preparing to forge ahead with a process to pass a larger proposal without any Republican votes if needed, lawmakers said Tuesday.

"The White House made clear to us that we should be prepared to proceed on two tracks," Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a press conference. House Democrats met for their first in-person caucus meeting since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, where they heard from Biden administration officials who laid out the "two track" pathway. One of those tracks is continuing negotiations with Republicans, while the other is preparing for budget reconciliation, a lengthy and complicated process that would allow legislation to pass with a simple majority.