House Democratic leaders late yesterday postponed a vote yet again on the bipartisan infrastructure bill amid threats from progressives to tank it as leverage for a separate, larger package to expand social safety net programs, The Hill reported. After a long day of meetings between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the warring centrist and progressive factions of the caucus, as well as with White House staff, Democrats opted to delay a vote planned for Thursday rather than allow an embarrassing public failure on the House floor. Democratic leadership and the White House were hoping they could reach an agreement on a framework for the larger reconciliation bill that would convince House progressives to vote for the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. Progressives worry that if they help pass the bipartisan bill before the reconciliation framework is agreed upon, centrists won't help them pass the reconciliation bill packed with progressive priorities. But as the night wore on, a deal on a framework with two key Democratic centrists, Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), remained elusive despite haggling with top White House staff.
