Biden doubles down on costly agenda despite GOP victory in Virginia: LIVE UPDATES
The House passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill with a bipartisan vote Friday, ending weeks of deadlock amid infighting between the party's moderates and progressives.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Republicans who vote 'yes' on infrastructure 'stirred up a hornets nest': Acuna
Fox News senior correspondent Alicia Acuna issued a warning amid the passage of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill late Friday night, adding that "we're really getting used to some big numbers, and it's getting to be really frightening."
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Concerns mount on energy provisions within Democrat spending bill
President Biden’s $1.7 trillion Build Back Better Act is expected to receive little to no GOP support in Congress, and Republicans have grown increasingly concerned about how the spending package could affect prices at the pump.
Gas prices have hit a seven-year high after shortages in the post-pandemic market have left demand up and inflation spiking.
The latest move to transition the U.S. away from oil reliance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the president’s social spending package has some concerned that prices will continue to inflate for consumers.
Click here to read more on Fox Business.
Nancy Pelosi applauds Democrats' success in passing infrastructure bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday issued a statement applauding House Democrats' success in passing their $1.2 trillion infrastructer package on Friday evening.
"The American people sent President Biden to the White House and Democratic Majorities to Congress to deliver results that make their lives better," she said. "Last night, by sending an historic and bipartisan infrastructure package to the President’s desk, that is exactly what we have done."
Pelosi added that "Democrats have taken a momentous step toward realizing our transformative agenda."
"When the House returns, we will pass our Build Back Better Act to bring down the everyday costs that burden working parents – from health care to child care to paid leave to prescription drugs and more – while also securing one of the largest middle class tax cuts in history," the Speaker continued.
Moderates v. Progressives: Dem division is rocking Congress ahead of Biden's colossal spending bill
The push to advance U.S. infrastructure by improving transit systems and advancing climate-friendly initiatives was a cornerstone of President Biden’s campaign, but fighting over his social spending package has stoked division within his party.
While the bill had wide support from Democrats, six of the party’s progressive leaders voted against the legislation.
Democratic lawmakers, dubbed the "Squad," voted against the mammoth infrastructure bill in protest to fact the $1.7 trillion Build Back Better social spending package was not also voted on.
"I have been clear that I would not be able to support the infrastructure bill without a vote on the Build Back Better Act," Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in a Friday statement. "Passing the infrastructure bill without passing the Build Back Better Act first risks leaving behind childcare, paid leave, health care, climate action, housing, education, and a roadmap to citizenship."
Read more on Fox News here.
Hagerty: Republicans who voted for infrastructure 'put themselves on a path to early retirement'
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Saturday criticized Republicans who voted in favor of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which passed in the House on Friday night.
Thirteen GOP lawmakers joining Democrats to vote in favor of the legislation and six progressive Democrats voting against the massive spending package.
"It was very surprising to me to see 13 Republicans basically bail Nancy Pelosi out," Haggerty said on Fox News' "CAVUTO Live" Saturday morning. "She did not have the votes within her own party to do this. We had 13 Republicans that decided to step up and help her in this way, and what they did is put themselves on a path to early retirement."
Read more on Fox News here.
Biden hails ‘long overdue’ infrastructure bill after it passes House with GOP votes
President Biden on Saturday hailed the passing of what he called a "long overdue" infrastructure bill after it passed the House with Republican votes a day earlier.
"Folks, yesterday I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that we took a monumental step forward as a nation," a clearly delighted Biden said at a press conference.
Biden touted 5.6 million jobs since he took office and an unemployment rate of 4.6%.
"And we’re just getting started," he said. "We did something that's been long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington, but never actually been done."
Read more on Fox News here.
Sec. Granholm calls on Congress to 'move quickly' on spending bill after infrastructure passes
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Saturday applauded the passage of President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and called on Congress to "move quickly" on passing the social spending package.
"President Biden came into office promising to find consensus in Washington so he can better the lives of Americans in all places in our country. With the House’s passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, he has delivered," Granholm said. "So many before tried and failed to accomplish such significant investments in our families, in our communities, and in our future.
Read more on Fox Business here.
Biden says he supports payments to migrants who were separated from family
President Biden said Saturday that he supports payments to migrants who were separated from their family during the Trump administration.
Biden last week called reports of $450,000 payments to illegal immigrants "garbage," but indicated Saturday that he was responding to the dollar amount.
The migrants, he said in response to a question from Fox News' David Spunt, "deserve some kind of compensation," even as he said he doesn't know what the number will be.
Biden to wait to sign bipartisan infrastructure bill until Congress can attend
President Biden indicated Saturday that he would not sign the bipartisan $1,200,000,000,000 infrastructure bill but would wait until members of Congress could be there for a signing ceremony.
That will happen "soon," he said.
"When we have the bill signing I'll be able to thank everyone in the House and the Senate for their leadership," he said, mentioning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Whip James Clyburn and more.
He said that the American people would begin feeling the effects of the infrastructure in two to three months. "This is a blue collar blueprint to rebuild America, and it's long overdue," he said.
Biden says one lesson for Democrats from Virginia loss was 'get something done'
President Biden touted his spending agenda after the House passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
He also reacted to the Virginia governor's race where Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin. He doubled down on his agenda despite the loss, saying one lesson from the 2021 election was that Americans want Congress to "get something done."
Biden gives remarks after House passes $1.2T infrastructure bill
President Biden will give remarks Saturday morning after the House voted to pass Democrats’ $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill across party lines.
Biden said in a Friday night statement that the legislation will “create millions of jobs, turn the climate crisis into an opportunity, and put us on a path to win the economic competition for the 21st Century.”
House lawmakers also voted 221-213 along party lines to pass the procedural “rule” for President Biden’s expansive social spending bill, clearing the way for House Democratic leaders to eventually bring the president’s $1.75 trillion spending bill up for a vote.
“The Build Back Better Act will be a once-in-a-generation investment in our people,” Biden said in his statement. “It will lower bills for healthcare, child care, elder care, prescription drugs, and preschool. And middle-class families get a tax cut. This bill is also fiscally responsible, fully paid for, and doesn’t raise the deficit.”
Biden, Democrats celebrate after $1.2T infrastructure bill passes -- despite some 'no' votes
President Biden and House Democrats celebrated overnight after the passage of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which ended weeks of deadlock amid infighting between the party's moderates and progressives.
"Tonight, we took a monumental step forward as a nation," Biden said in a statement issued by the White House early Saturday.
Biden, who has been urging Democrats to pass the signature item on his agenda, called the legislation a "once-in-a-generation investment in our people."
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Rep. Andy Biggs says 13 Republicans voting for bill is why 'Americans don't trust Congress'
President Biden calls passage of infrastructure bill 'monumental step forward as a nation'
GOP lawmakers blast 'RINOS' after House passes $1.2T infrastructure bill: 'Time to name names'
House Republicans opposing the Democrats' $1 trillion infrastructure package reacted swiftly late Friday after their colleagues across the aisle – aided by 13 members of the GOP – passed the legislation.
The bipartisan bill’s passage was viewed a win for the Biden administration and ended weeks of deadlock between moderate and progressive Democrats.
Some Republicans who voted "no" called the bill "communist" or "socialist" and decried their GOP colleagues who voted with Democrats.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
House adopts ‘rule’ for Biden spending bill, teeing up final vote
House lawmakers voted 221-213 along party lines to pass the procedural “rule” for President Biden’s expansive social spending bill late Friday night, securing a measure of progress for Democratic leaders who were forced to delay a planned vote on the bill itself.
The adoption of the “rule” governing the reconciliation process clears the way for House Democratic leaders to eventually bring Biden’s $1.75 trillion spending bill up for a vote. Moments before the procedural vote occurred, the House voted to pass the separate $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package.
Plans to vote on both bills Friday were dropped after moderates insisted the Congressional Budget Office “score” the spending bill so they could better understand its financial implications before a vote. Their resistance prompted Pelosi to move forward with the procedural “rule” vote to make progress without actually passing the bill.
Progressives agreed to support both the “rule” and the infrastructure bill after securing a deal with moderates, who promised to vote for the spending bill as it is currently written no later than Nov. 15.
House passes bipartisan infrastructure bill after months of tense negotiations
House lawmakers passed President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill late Friday night, securing a key victory for his administration and breaking a weeks-long deadlock between moderates and progressives that threatened to derail the legislation.
The House vote was 228-206, with 13 GOP lawmakers crossing party lines to join Democrats in voting in favor of the legislation.
The bill, which provides funding for physical infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, water pipes and broadband internet, will now advance to President Biden’s desk for final approval. Senate lawmakers already voted 69-30 to approve the legislation in August.
The legislation passed after months of tenuous negotiations, with Democratic leaders working frantically to reach a consensus that satisfied both progressive and moderate holdouts. Talks nearly collapsed on several occasions, including as recently as mere minutes before the vote.
Progressives agreed to vote for the infrastructure bill after a securing a pledge from a group of House moderates, who committed to voting for Biden's $1.75 trillion social spending bill no later than the week of Nov. 15.
Progressives say they'll vote for spending bill 'rule,' infrastructure bill
The Congressional Progressive Caucus said late Friday that its members will vote in favor of both the spending bill "rule" and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Their commitment followed a pledge by House moderates to vote for the "Build Back Better Act" as it is currently written no later than the week of Nov. 15.
Support from progressives is a major win for Democratic leaders who scrambled to salvage a vote on the infrastructure bill and advance the spending bill.
Read the Progressive Caucus' statement below.
“Tonight, members of the Progressive Caucus and our colleagues in the Democratic Caucus reached an agreement to advance both pieces of President Biden’s legislative agenda. Our colleagues have committed to voting for the transformative Build Back Better Act, as currently written, no later than the week of November 15. All of our colleagues have also committed to voting tonight on the rule to move the Build Back Better Act forward to codify this promise. The President has affirmed these members gave him the same commitment.
“As part of this agreement, at the request of the President, and to ensure we pass both bills through the House, progressives will advance the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the House rule on Build Back Better tonight.”
Moderate House Dems commit to voting for Biden spending bill amid pressure from progressives
A group of five moderate House Democratic lawmakers released a statement committing to vote for the Biden spending bill once the Congressional Budget Office finishes "scoring" the legislation. The lawmakers added that they would work to address any discrepancies that arise between the CB score and previous spending estimates.
The statement is meant to reassure progressive lawmakers who balked after a vote on the spending bill was delayed.
House concludes debate on 'rule' for social spending bill
House lawmakers wrapped up their debate on the procedural "rule" governing the spending bill. The House then went into a recess, subject to the call of the chair.
Lawmakers have still not voted on the bipartisan infrastructure bill or on whether to adopt the "rule" on the spending bill.