House Democrats Hunt for Votes to Pass Biden’s Domestic Agenda
The New York Times
Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted a vote on Thursday night on a $1.85 trillion social policy and climate bill, but moderates were pushing back.
WASHINGTON — House Democrats struggled on Thursday to line up the votes needed to push through a $1.85 trillion social safety net, climate and tax bill, as moderate Democrats, spooked by Tuesday’s electoral drubbing, raised concerns about the cost and details of the rapidly evolving plan.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California had privately told her top deputies that she hoped to hold a vote on the bill as soon as Thursday night, with a vote on Friday morning to clear a Senate-passed $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure measure for President Biden’s signature, according to two people briefed on the discussions.
But the votes proved elusive as night fell, even after Mr. Biden and members of his cabinet worked the phones and Ms. Pelosi and her team spent much of the day buttonholing lawmakers on the House floor.
