‘A Time of Intensity’ Ahead, As Budget Committee Advances Spending Bill

WASHINGTON – The House Budget Committee voted 20-17 on Saturday in favor of the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, effectively setting up a vote in the full House on the sweeping package in a matter of days.

One Democrat, Rep. Scott Peters, of California, joined all of the House Republicans in voting against the package, which was assembled from bills approved by 13 House committees over the past several weeks.

The next stop for the bill, seen as the cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, is the House Rules Committee.

Moments after the committee vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to the members of the Democratic caucus, telling them, “The next few days will be a time of intensity.”

“We sent a CR to the Senate and are awaiting their action to avoid a shutdown,” Pelosi continued. “We must pass the [Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill] to avoid the expiration of the surface transportation funding on September 30.  And we must stay on schedule to pass the reconciliation bill so that we can Build Back Better.

“The Build Back Better Act is a jobs bill for the future: addressing the empowerment of women in the workplace and creating good-paying green jobs by tackling the climate crisis,” she said of the bill.  “The jobs initiatives relating to child care, home health care, paid family and medical leave, universal pre-K and more are transformative. The legislation also helps middle class families by making health care costs and prescription drug prices more affordable.

“The initiatives of the Build Back Better Act are ones in which President Biden takes a great pride, which House and Senate Democrats share. Build Back Better will cut taxes for the middle class, create more jobs, lower costs for working families and make sure the wealthiest and corporations pay their fair share,” the speaker said.

Pelosi also announced the Caucus will hold a meeting to discuss all these pieces of legislation on Monday at 5:30 p.m.  

“I urge the fullest participation of Members and hope that as many of us can be there in person as possible,” Pelosi said.