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With just two days left for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lock down votes on the infrastructure bill, Bidens sitdown with Manchin and Sinema could be pivotal. While Sinema has been engaging with a group of House lawmakers behind the scenes, Manchin has been largely mum about his support for the partys sprawling bill with a price tag of up to $3.5 trillion. Sinema will head to the White House for a second meeting later Tuesday.

And many progressives in the caucus say theyll refuse to move forward until those two senators spell out their position in some formalized way with Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. If not, they fear Manchin and Sinema will ditch the broader spending talks as soon as the public works bill is complete.

My father told me when I was growing up, theres a fine line between a good guy and a goddamn fool. I dont want to be rolled, said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). I think a lot of us want to make sure we have an assurance that, in fact, theres going to be a reconciliation bill.

Im not a yes until we have assurances that it will pass, echoed Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.).

An agreement with Manchin and Sinema would be critical to resolving the deadlock in the House, said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

I think it would give confidence to a lot of people in the House and around the country, Hoyer told reporters Tuesday, reiterating that the House wouldnt take up any social spending plan that the Senate couldnt support. What were hoping this week is to get a number and a framework.

Pelosi and her leadership team as well as progressive and moderate leaders have been working furiously behind the scenes on a compromise that all corners of the party can back. They hope that so-called framework can be enough for Jayapal and her caucus to back the vote Thursday, helping leadership and the White House avoid a humiliating defeat.

Jayapal released a statement reiterating the CPCs position on Tuesday afternoon after an hourlong meeting with the progressive caucus, which was held the day after Pelosi stunned many liberals by announcing Monday night that the House would proceed with an infrastructure vote even as the partys broader spending bill slipped past this week. During that meeting, not a single progressive member spoke up to say they would support the vote on Tuesday without the broader spending bill staying firm on the caucuss earlier position.

Pelosis decision to muscle ahead with infrastructure without the social spending bill in tow was essentially a reversal of the vow she made to progressives earlier this summer to pass both at the same time a dynamic that will complicate leaderships ability to lock down the votes before Thursday.

Asked about how Democrats would convince progressives to support that vote, Pelosi said: Thats a question that well deal with, but Im not going to negotiate that right now.

Well see what we need to have and that is the essence of the Build Back Better, Pelosi told reporters.

Democrats expect an intense whipping operation from Pelosi and her leadership team for the infrastructure plan, but it hasnt formally begun yet. Many lawmakers have pegged their hopes on Biden nailing down a commitment from Manchin, thereby prying more progressive commitments loose.

"I haven't started whipping anything yet, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said in a brief interview.

Jayapal has said as recently as Monday afternoon that dozens of progressives as many as 60 would be willing to block Bidens infrastructure bill Thursday.

But there are others within the caucus who say they cant go that far with the presidents agenda on the line.

Ive come to the conclusion that keeping things moving helps us, even though its got some risks that some folks will say, Hey I got what I want, I wont keep going, said Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), alluding to many of his colleagues fears that Manchin and Sinema will ditch the broader spending talks as soon as the public works bill is complete.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries projected confidence Tuesday that the caucus would be in lockstep behind Bidens two priorities before the vote later this week.

On substance the votes are there, in the context of what were trying to get accomplished, Jeffries told reporters. Now were figuring out the pathway to get both of these very important bills over the finish line.

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Progressives threaten rebellion as Pelosi pushes forward on infrastructure - POLITICO