Following a deadline announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, members of Congress are expected to finally take a vote on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill by October 31.
An earlier scheduled vote for September 30 was delayed when it became apparent that there were not enough votes in the House to pass the legislation.
That bill, called the Build Back Better Act, includes funding for road and highway projects, as well as bridge construction and upgrades, and both port and airport facility improvements.
The Speaker is additionally hoping that members will be able to vote on a larger $3.5 trillion billion legislation, popularly known as the social infrastructure bill.
That legislation, the Build Back Better bill, has proved controversial largely because of its price tag. Some House and Senate members have said that they want to vote for the smaller $1.2 trillion legislation, without having to commit themselves to the Build Back Better bill.
For his part, President Biden has said Build Back Better bill will ultimately pass, but only if it’s scaled down. “I’m convinced we’re going to get it down, we’re not going to get $3.5 trillion, we’ll get less than that, but we’re going to get it,” he said during remarks at the University of Connecticut.
Pelosi, who was elected to the House in 1987, has said that passing the two pieces of legislation would be the “culmination of my career in Congress.”
By Garry Boulard
