The previous COVID-19 relief package that was signed into law several weeks back was passed on party lines. With the upcoming infrastructure package having a higher price tag, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says bipartisan cooperation is encouraged for this bill.
Speaking on CBSs’ “Face the Nation,” Pelosi said that House Republicans are encouraged to work across the aisle with their Democratic counterparts in the passage of the sweeping infrastructure bill. The benefits of the $2 trillion package was already being touted by President Joe Biden and five of his Cabinet members as of late. The House Speaker said that she hopes the bill would pass Congress by August.
“I’ve been in Congress long enough to remember when bipartisanship was not unusual and that actually building infrastructure has never been a partisan issue. They made it partisan under President Obama by shrinking the bill. Hopefully, the need is so obvious now that Republicans will vote for it, we’ll see,” said Pelosi. “The door is open. Our hand is extended. Let’s find out where we can find our common ground. We always have a responsibility to strive for bipartisanship.”
Despite the proposal laid out by Biden receiving bipartisan support among the American public, convincing Republican lawmakers themselves would be a challenge. With Democrats holding a narrow majority in both the House and the Senate, with vice president Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote, party unity is important. Nevertheless, Pelosi hopes that the public sentiment could convince Republicans in both chambers to support the bill.
In other related news, in an upcoming book about the House Speaker by USA Today journalist Susan Page, the House Speaker had some blunt advice for the “squad” of progressive Democrats in Congress. Pelosi, who put on a “child-like voice” at one point upon discussing New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said about the “squad,” “You’re not a one-person show. This is the Congress of the United States.”
The House Speaker also did not hold back on some of her criticisms towards her former and current colleagues as well. Pelosi mentioned Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as “not a force for good in this country,” while also mentioning how former President Barack Obama got the sole credit for the deals she passed through Congress.