House Democratic moderates threaten Pelosi's strategy and demand immediate vote on infrastructure bill

The threat, outlined in a letter provided to CNN, could put Pelosi's plans in jeopardy to advance the budget resolution later this month since she can only afford to lose three votes from her caucus in the chamber that they narrowly control.

"We will not consider voting for a budget resolution until the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passes the House and is signed into law," the letter to Pelosi said.

Approving the budget resolution is essential to enacting President Joe Biden's agenda. The resolution, which the Senate also approved this week, must be adopted by the House before both chambers are allowed to advance a sweeping economic package worth $3.5 trillion through a process that can be approved along straight party lines since it cannot be filibustered in the Senate.

But Pelosi for weeks has made clear that the consensus within her caucus was to hold up the infrastructure bill until the Senate approves the larger Democratic-only bill, a move aimed at both pressuring moderate Senate Democrats to back the massive package but also ease concerns among House progressives that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure didn't go far enough.

Now the new letter -- led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, the Democratic co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus -- could throw Pelosi's strategy into flux and underscores the complex balancing act that the White House and Democratic leaders must perform to keep their fragile coalition together.

"Quote from letter."

"Some have suggested that we hold off on considering the Senate infrastructure bill for months -- until the reconciliation process is completed. We disagree," the group says, referring to the process used to advance the $3.5 trillion package. "With the livelihoods of hardworking American families at stake, we simply can't afford months of unnecessary delays and risk squandering this once-in-a-century, bipartisan infrastructure package."

The letter is signed by Reps. Gottheimer, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Filemon Vela of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Ed Case of Hawaii, Kurt Schrader of Oregon, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jim Costa of California and Carolyn Bourdeaux of Georgia.

The House is scheduled to return the week of August 23 to vote on the budget resolution, with Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer instructing their committee chairs to draft the larger bill -- known in the Capitol as reconciliation legislation -- by September 15. Their goal is to have both bills enacted by late September or early October. But if the House can't pass the budget resolution, those plans could collapse.

The new letter also comes two days after Pelosi reiterated to her caucus on a private call that there will be no vote in the House on the bipartisan infrastructure package until the Senate passes its reconciliation bill. That position is in line with the House's progressive Democrats who have threatened to withhold their support for the infrastructure bill unless the reconciliation proposal is approved by the Senate.

The speaker said on the call she is "not freelancing" on her position on holding back passing the bipartisan bill until reconciliation is done.

"This is the consensus," she said, according to a source familiar with the call. "The President has said he's all for the bipartisan approach ... bravo! That's progress, but it ain't the whole vision."

But the plea has yet to move the group of moderate Democrats.

"President Biden swiftly applauded its passage, stating that he hopes Congress will send it to his desk as soon as possible," the letter said, referring to the 50 Democrats and 19 Republicans who voted to pass the infrastructure bill in the Senate earlier this week. "The House of Representatives should heed his call and immediately pass the legislation."

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