Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe is raising concerns about Democrats’ massive spending package.
During a gubernatorial debate on Tuesday night, McAuliffe said the price tag of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill is “too high.”
“They got to stop their little chitty-chat up there, and it is time for them to pass it. Let’s get this infrastructure bill passed for America,” he added.
McAuliffe’s comments as Congressional Democrats are hoping to pass a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package as well as a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. But a rift between moderates and progressives in the House is threatening to derail both bills.
The Senate has already passed the infrastructure bill, but the House has not held a vote on either yet.
On Sept. 22, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the House Progressive Caucus, signaled that members of her caucus are ready to sink the smaller bipartisan bill unless they also vote on the $3.5 trillion spending package at the same time.
“We want to make sure that both bills are moving together, and we’re going to hold to that commitment. And so yes, half our members, more than half our members, will not move the bipartisan bill without the reconciliation bill being passed,” she told CNN.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted on Tuesday, “I strongly urge my House colleagues to vote against the bipartisan infrastructure bill until Congress passes a strong reconciliation bill.”
However, even if the House passes both bills, the fate of the larger spending package is uncertain in the Senate.
Democrats are hoping to use a process known as budget reconciliation, which is immune from a filibuster, to pass the spending package with just 51 votes, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
In order for that process to work, all 50 Democrats would have to vote for the spending bill. However, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has said he will not vote for a bill with a $3.5 trillion price tag.
If Manchin votes against the reconciliation bill, the package would fail to pass the chamber.