Progressives fire warning shot on bipartisan infrastructure deal | TheHill – The Hill
Senate progressives aresignaling they aren't ready to bless a bipartisan infrastructure deal unless they can secure firm commitments on a separate Democratic-only bill.
The early pushback comes as President BidenJoe BidenTrump calls Barr 'a disappointment in every sense of the word' Last foreign scientist to work at Wuhan lab: 'What people are saying is just not how it is' Toyota defends donations to lawmakers who objected to certifying election MORE and a bipartisan group of senators reached an agreement on infrastructure spending, underscoring that any bipartisan legislation willhave a ways to go before winning broad support on Capitol Hill.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie SandersBernie SandersPolitical campaigns worry they're next for ransomware hits Headaches mount for Biden in spending fight How Biden can reframe and reclaim patriotism, faith, freedom, and equality MORE (I-Vt.) vowed that there would not be movement on a bipartisan deal unless there is a "firm, absolute agreement" on a sweeping reconciliation bill.
"There is not going to be a bipartisan agreement without a major reconciliation package," he said before Biden announced the deal Thursday afternoon.
Sen. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyHeadaches mount for Biden in spending fight Biden: 'Not my intent' to imply veto for bipartisan infrastructure package Biden says he won't sign bipartisan bill without reconciliation bill MORE (D-Conn.) said he is"not voting for a bipartisan package unless I know what is in reconciliation.
"I think there is, like I said, 20 votes for this," he added. "I can find you a lot of other things that there are 20 votes for."
Murphy said Democrats "need to have some understanding" that includes a "pathway to pass" a larger Democratic-only bill through the budget reconciliation process. He sidestepped a question about procedure and timing, saying those issues are still being discussed.
A bipartisan group of 10 senators five Democrats, five Republicans announced on Wednesday night that they had reached an agreement on a scaled-down infrastructure package and that White House negotiators had agreed to the details. Biden met with the group on Thursday and formally endorsed the deal, which includes $559 billion in new spending for a total of $1.2 trillion over eight years.
The deal includes $559 billion in new spending for a total of $1.2 trillion over eight years.
But that amount is still substantially smaller than what many Democrats want. Biden has outlined a $2.3 trillion jobs plan and a $1.8 trillion families plan, while the bipartisan group plan is more tightly focused on more traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges and broadband.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) panned the bipartisan framework from Wednesday night as "paltry." And Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenThe Hill's Sustainability Report Presented by NextEra Energy Philippine flies turn trash into beef Colorado lawmaker warns of fire season becoming year-round Progressives fire warning shot on bipartisan infrastructure deal MORE (D-Ore.) argued that the "confusion" over what is in the bipartisan plan underscores that the smaller plan and the Democratic-only bill have to be linked.
"The confusion over the last few days makes it even more important in my mind that the two efforts ... be directly connected. And I want it understood that as chairman of the Finance Committee ... I will not support anything that throws those other matters overboard," Wyden said, referring to priorities like climate change, health care and changes to the tax code.
Wyden declined to say how that would work procedurally on the Senate floor, saying it was still under discussion, but reiterated that the two plans have to be "directly connected."
Democrats are pursuing a two-track path as they try to get infrastructure passed through Congress this year. On one path is the bipartisan group's proposal, on the second is a Democratic-only bill that would be used to pass the reconciliation process that allows Democrats to avoid a 60-vote legislative filibuster.
Part of the scheduling headache for Democratic leaders is that reconciliation is a two-step process: First lawmakers need to pass a budget resolution that greenlights and includes instructions for a subsequent Democratic-only bill. Then they have to write and pass the sweeping multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill itself.
Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiPhotos of the Week: Infrastructure, Britney Spears and Sen. Tillis's dog Headaches mount for Biden in spending fight Wallace has contentious interview with GOP lawmaker: Aren't you the ones defunding the police? MORE (D-Calif.), amid progressive pressure, said on Thursday before the deal was announced that the House will not pass the bipartisan bill until they are also ready to pass the larger Democratic-only package.
But progressives don't have that guarantee in the Senate, where they appear likely to move separately.
Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerThe Innovation and Competition Act is progressive policy Infrastructure deal: Major climate win that tees up more in reconciliation bill Democrats seek to calm nervous left MORE (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Wednesday night that he would take up both the potential bipartisan deal and the "first act" of the Democratic-only bill passing the budget resolution that tees it up in July.
Schumer has not given a hard timeline for when the Senate will take up the subsequent Democratic-only infrastructure package. But the Senate is poised to leave town in early August until mid-September, and Democrats believe its increasingly likely it will wait until the fall.
To even pass the budget resolution, Democrats need total unity from all 50 of their members, something they don't yet have. And progressives are warning that they won't let the bipartisan bill move forward without a broader deal on how the bigger package gets passed.
Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenHeadaches mount for Biden in spending fight Senate plants a seed for bipartisan climate solutions White House adviser to MSNBC host: Biden deal 'wasn't a photo op' MORE (D-Mass.) warned that progressives are "not going to be left holding the bag."
"There is no half a deal or 10 percent of a deal that covers roads and bridges and leaves everything else behind," Warren said.
"We'll work out the details on how the votes go, that's part of what we're talking about right now," she added. "But make no mistake there's commitment in our caucus that one piece is not going to go forward and leave the rest of it in the train station."
See the rest here:
Progressives fire warning shot on bipartisan infrastructure deal | TheHill - The Hill
- Progressives Notch Another Big Win in Colorado Primary Elections | National News | U.S. News - U.S. News & World Report - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- Taylor Riggs slams progressives' use of 'deserve': 'You have to work hard for everything' - Fox Business - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- Obama judge hands progressives a win over anti-Trump '86 47' message amid rising threats - Yahoo - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- Prayer changes things. For progressives too. - Daily Kos - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- Watch: Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but don't sweep the board - Straight Arrow News - SAN - Unbiased. Straight Facts. - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- The SSPX, Progressives, and the Temptation to Build Another Church - EWTN Great Britain - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- Obama judge hands progressives a win over anti-Trump '8647' message amid rising threats - Fox News - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but don't sweep the board - Yahoo - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Progressives Extend Winning Streak in Democratic Primaries - WhoWhatWhy - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Progressives are winning in American cities. Can they win rural voters too? | Bhaskar Sunkara - The Guardian - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Straight Arrow News - SAN - Unbiased. Straight Facts. - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - The Times and Democrat - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Exclusive / Progressives grapple with old tweets - Semafor - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Democratic socialist Melat Kiros will defeat Rep. Diana DeGette in another win for progressives, CNN projects - news8000.com - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Lincoln Journal Star - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Longview Daily News - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Progressives Should Follow the ABC of AOC - Newsweek - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Kearney Hub - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Fremont Tribune - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - McDowell News - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - The Post Star - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- The Progressives: A Primer, Who They Are and What They Represent - The Times of Israel - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Tulsa World - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Montana Standard - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Sioux City Journal - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - Martinsville Bulletin - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Progressives score major upsets in left turn for Democratic party in Colorado - News24 - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Denver progressives secure big win with Kiros but dont sweep the board - SWVA Today - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- In New York's primaries, progressives face the establishment, and a Kennedy scion seeks office - KCCI - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Unhinged Trump Calls US Progressives Communist 'Animals' Who Will 'Close Your Churches' and 'Kill Your People' - Common Dreams - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Progressives are making new ground in Congress and causing new anxiety for Democrats - MS NOW - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- How Liberals and Progressives Should Celebrate Americas 250th - The American Prospect - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- Opinion | Progressives have already lost the Suffolk County DA's race - The Boston Globe - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- Josh Shapiro says progressives wins in New York show voters are channeling that pain into purpose - Inquirer.com - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- No 'Mamdani moment' for Nevada progressives in 2026, but some signs of hope - The Nevada Independent - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- D.C. socialists and progressives sweep elections - People's World - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- New York Progressives Had a Great Night - The Cut - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- In New York's primaries, progressives face the establishment, and a Kennedy scion seeks office - KSAT - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- Progressives renew the militant spirit of pride - Bulatlat - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- Progressives Inequality Arguments Reaching the Green Light - Mises Institute - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- In New Yorks primaries, progressives face the establishment, and a Kennedy scion seeks office - WTRF - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- Progressives Topple Two Incumbents in New Yorks Primary Elections - WhoWhatWhy - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- In New Yorks primaries, progressives face the establishment, and a Kennedy scion seeks office - Washington Times - June 26th, 2026 [June 26th, 2026]
- Opinion | This absurd Social Security plan would take down progressives with it - The Washington Post - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Supreme Court Term Limits Went From Punchline To Platform For Progressives - Above the Law - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Democratic Progressives Are Winning Primaries Everywhere. Heres Why. - The New Republic - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Guy Ciarrocchi: Between old-school Democrats and new-style progressives, school choice hangs in the balance - Broad + Liberty - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- How progressives obliterated their LGBTQ efforts - Washington Times - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Progressives get to test waters in Johor and Negeri Sembilan - Malay Mail - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Delaney Hall brought Mikie Sherrills first real test. South Jersey progressives who campaigned for her say she failed. - Inquirer.com - June 16th, 2026 [June 16th, 2026]
- A key congressional race in California will test progressives' appeal in a Republican district - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - June 16th, 2026 [June 16th, 2026]
- The super PAC complicating the narrative for NYC progressives in Democratic primaries - Gothamist - June 16th, 2026 [June 16th, 2026]
- Progressives freaked after conservatives took over New College of Florida. Three years later, its doing great. - The College Fix - June 16th, 2026 [June 16th, 2026]
- Progressives Should Show Real Solidarity With China - Foreign Policy - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- Editorial: Sorry progressives, we need DHS to get gangs off the streets - Boston Herald - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- Leftward Progressives: Very liberal on nearly all issues, and most wish there were more parties in the U.S. - Pew Research Center - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- Progressives should thank tech billionaires for creating jobs: Joe Concha - Washington Examiner - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- A key congressional race in California will test progressives' appeal in a Republican district - Temple Daily Telegram - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- Now That California's Primary Is Pretty Much Over, Progressives Need to Get To Work! - LA Progressive - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- Our Land of the Free, Home of the Brave needs no more Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, conservatives or progressives - Ray Hanania | Substack - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- No heir apparent: Progressives split over who carries Bernie Sanderss torch in 2028 - Washington Examiner - June 14th, 2026 [June 14th, 2026]
- Why progressives are refusing to drop Graham Platner - Politico - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- Early Progressives Understood What Minimum Wages Do - The Daily Economy - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- Oregon progressives notched 2 upsets in last months election. Heres how it could affect politics in Salem - OregonLive.com - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- NDAA Section 224 alarms progressives and conservativesHere's what it says - Yahoo - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- NDAA Section 224 Alarms Progressives and ConservativesHeres What It Says - Newsweek - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- S.F. progressives were just trounced in the election. Can they bounce back in the Lurie era? - San Francisco Chronicle - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- San Francisco progressives got their clocks cleaned this election - The San Francisco Standard - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Anti-Israel PAC is spending $2M to boost 3 progressives in NYC - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Engel wins at-large Essex commissioner nomination in win for progressives; McGrath, Richardson, and Yasin win rest of nominations - New Jersey Globe - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Chris Rabbs campaign was a massive win for Philly progressives. Now, he wants to replicate it across the country. - MSN - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Blouin's own poll spurs him to call for other progressives to drop out of race - FOX 13 News Utah - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Progressive Superintendents Expected to Win in Large Numbers... Exit Polls: Progressives Lead in 9 Regions, Conservatives in 3, 4 Too Close to Call - - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Uniting progressives or giving desperation? Nate Blouin says only he can beat Ben McAdams. - The Salt Lake Tribune - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Progressives take over education superintendent election - The Korea Times - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Polis Breaks with Progressives, Vetoes Bills on Surveillance Pricing, Arbitration and Plastics - longmontleader.com - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Well-meaning progressives tie themselves in knots in Huntingtons Eureka Day - The Boston Globe - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Opinion | Progressives Are Listening to the Wrong People on A.I. - The New York Times - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Progressives land a big win in a Philadelphia House primary and hope it means more are on the way - New Castle News - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Progressives are sweeping the 2026 US midterm primaries - The New Arab - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]