I believe that some reports and commentary about this morning’s letter, signed by 9 so-called “moderate” Democrats, largely overstates this to the extent it suggests that the letter could “derail” the legislative process.
The actual letter is here.
Many are interpreting this letter as a demand for an IMMEDIATE vote on the bi-partisan infrastructure plan. Such a demand would, indeed, directly run afoul of Nancy Pelosi’s strategy of waiting for the Senate to approve the reconciliation bill. But the letter does not actually make such a demand.
Read it carefully. At the outset, the letter “urges” the House to take up and pass the infrastructure bill immediately. Such “urging” falls short of a “demand.”
The only thing like a demand comes later: they say that they “will not consider voting for a budget resolution” (i.e., reconciliation bill) until the bipartisan infrastructure bill is passed by the House.
So read literally, there is no demand for the House to pass the infrastructure bill immediately. Although they recommend that that bill be passed quickly, their actual demand is not inconsistent with Pelosi’s stated intention of waiting for the Senate to pass the reconciliation bill first.
Thus, the letter and Pelosi’s statements permit the following scenario: (1) Pelosi waits for the Senate to pass the reconciliation bill; (2) the House then passes the infrastructure bill; and (3) the House passes the reconciliation bill.
Admittedly, this sequence requires some private assurances from the entire Democratic caucus in the House that the reconciliation bill will be supported. But I am confident that this is a needle Pelosi can thread.
Read this way, the letter is annoying. It is posturing. But it certainly doesn’t seem fatal to the entire process.