Democrats Continue Resisting Bipartisan Infrastructure Negotiations: ‘We Might Lose Human Infrastructure’

Congressional Democrats are continuing to resist bipartisan negotiations over the Biden administration’s infrastructure proposal.

“It’s not $800 billion compared to $2.3 billion,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). “I think we should move forward with our bill.”

When Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was asked if she supports bipartisanship on the measure, she replied, “Absolutely not. Because we might lose our coalition for human infrastructure.” She told Politico her interest in ramming a partisan bill through Congress via a mechanism called budget reconciliation.

“I do not think that the White House should relegate recovery to the judgment of Mitch McConnell because he will not function in good faith,” said Gillibrand, who believes bipartisanship is “a terrible political misstep.”

Fifty-nine far-left House Democrat members are singing a similar tune by sending a letter to both Senate and House leadership, stating, “While bipartisan support is welcome, the pursuit of Republican votes cannot come at the expense of limiting the scope of popular investments.”

“They’re not being even players and we should just move on without them,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

“At what point do they seriously come to the table?” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) stated, believing Republicans could still break rank and support the measure Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called a “Trojan horse.” Pocan continued, “If they don’t come to the table, it doesn’t mean we don’t serve the meal.”

But one Senate Democrat seems to be suspicious of the actual vote count to pass the Trojan horse measure without Republicans, even with the Senate-workaround of reconciliation.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said using the tactic of reconciliation “would be quicker and easier, but we don’t seem to have the votes for it.”

However, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) says he is willing to risk prematurely implementing the tactic. “We ought to have a timely negotiation with the Republicans, but be prepared to go to reconciliation if we must,” he said.

President Joe Biden visited Dearborn, Michigan, Wednesday to continue to persuade Americans to support his Trojan horse measure:

We’re going to set a new pace for electric vehicles. That means reversing the previous administration’s shortsighted rollback of vehicle emissions and efficiency standards. Setting strong, clear targets where we need to go. It means passing the American Jobs Plan to do three things.

Biden’s proposal includes a beefed-up Internal Revenue Service on business activities, kitchens for healthier school lunches, paid leave, child care, caregiving, housing, eldercare, and research and development to address the warming of the globe.