The Infrastructure Thread (formerly BI: America's infrastructure is decaying)

[Cooked Crack]

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Cooked Crack

[88Comrade2000]

Unless Nancy, Chuck and Joe work a miracle; I think think there be no infrastructure ultimately passed.

 

Moderates in the house; want a vote on the bipartisan bill. Nancy and the progressives say no. If the reconilation bill doesn't come; no vote. Joe Manchin and house moderates are balking at the 3.5 trillion price tag.  I don't see progressives voting for a bill that chops a significant amount.

 

So, it will take a miracle to see both infrastructure bills passed. I think the reconciliation bill must be signed by Sept. 15? New fiscal year is Oct. 1.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Rdskns2000

[PleaseBlitz]

7 minutes ago, Rdskns2000 said:

Unless Nancy, Chuck and Joe work a miracle; I think think there be no infrastructure ultimately passed.

 

Moderates in the house; want a vote on the bipartisan bill. Nancy and the progressives say no. If the reconilation bill doesn't come; no vote. Joe Manchin and house moderates are balking at the 3.5 trillion price tag.  I don't see progressives voting for a bill that chops a significant amount.

 

So, it will take a miracle to see both infrastructure bills passed. I think the reconciliation bill must be signed by Sept. 15? New fiscal year is Oct. 1.

You really buy the posturing huh?

[China]

9 minutes ago, Rdskns2000 said:

Joe Manchin and house moderates are balking at the 3.5 trillion price tag.  I don't see progressives voting for a bill that chops a significant amount.

 

 

Joe Manchin is in the senate (not the house) and the $3.5T already passed with his vote in the senate.

[88Comrade2000]

1 hour ago, China said:

 

Joe Manchin is in the senate (not the house) and the $3.5T already passed with his vote in the senate.

That’s not the final bill. He voted to let it go to House but he made no promises on the final bill.

[LadySkinsFan]

If the House passes the Senate bill without any changes, it's a done deal. I think this is more likely because it contains a lot that the progressives want because the original infrastructure bill was divided in two. 

[88Comrade2000]

30 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

If the House passes the Senate bill without any changes, it's a done deal. I think this is more likely because it contains a lot that the progressives want because the original infrastructure bill was divided in two. 

Not so sure.

 

Joe Manchin Supports First Step in $3.5T Infrastructure Bill, No Promises on Full Measure 

 

Democratic divisions emerge on U.S. Senate's $3.5 trln spending plan

 

I doubt the House passes the bill as is. The progressives want more.

[Larry]

3 hours ago, Rdskns2000 said:

That’s not the final bill. He voted to let it go to House but he made no promises on the final bill.

 

Uh, I'm pretty sure that the way the Senate "lets a bill go to the House", is by passing the bill.  

[NoCalMike]

4 minutes ago, Larry said:

 

Uh, I'm pretty sure that the way the Senate "lets a bill go to the House", is by passing the bill.  

 

It would only go back to the Senate if there were changes made to the bill, yeah?

[Larry]

21 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

 

It would only go back to the Senate if there were changes made to the bill, yeah?

 

Far as I know.  

 

[LadySkinsFan]

If the House makes changes, there's reconciliation. If the House passes it as is, it's a done deal.

 

We know that the Republicans will try to make changes. Hopefully Pelosi will just take it to the floor for a vote. We all know that we won't get everything. It's enough for now. Plus it will break Republicans' spirit. 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by LadySkinsFan

[tshile]

2 hours ago, NoCalMike said:

 

It would only go back to the Senate if there were changes made to the bill, yeah?

Yeah committees merge different bills or some ****

Edited August 12, 2021 by tshile

[NoCalMike]

24 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

If the House makes changes, there's reconciliation. If the House passes it as is, it's a done deal.

 

We know that the Republicans will try to make changes. Hopefully Pelosi will just take it to the floor for a vote. We all know that we won't get everything. It's enough for now. Plus it will break Republicans' spirit. 

 

 

 

 

Agreed.  In a perfect world I probably side with the progressive wing and all the stuff they want it to include, but even without that, and the bill as is, it is still historic in size & scope. Can't screw this up.

[Simmsy]

Isn't anyone else curious as to why the GOP has decided to go along with this? Does this mean they're splitting off from Trump? Do they realize he doesn't have any power and he's a loser/dud? What changed their minds?

[Burgold]

1 hour ago, Simmsy said:

Isn't anyone else curious as to why the GOP has decided to go along with this? Does this mean they're splitting off from Trump? Do they realize he doesn't have any power and he's a loser/dud? What changed their minds?

I suspect it's because they were getting too much blow back from rejecting popular stuff. Biden has been smart in pushing an agenda that has really high support across the board and among all voters. He's demanding Republicans vote against their voters wishes time and time again. I think the Republicans know they can only vote against what their constituancies want so many times before they start getting upset with them. I think they know they can only take credit for so many bills they voted against before the public says, "What the hell? If you knew it was good and are glad of it why did you rant against it time after time?"

[TheGreatBuzz]

1 hour ago, Borgold said:

I suspect it's because they were getting too much blow back from rejecting popular stuff. Biden has been smart in pushing an agenda that has really high support across the board and among all voters. He's demanding Republicans vote against their voters wishes time and time again. I think the Republicans know they can only vote against what their constituancies want so many times before they start getting upset with them. I think they know they can only take credit for so many bills they voted against before the public says, "What the hell? If you knew it was good and are glad of it why did you rant against it time after time?"

Is there anything that polls higher than legalizing marijuana?  When is he gonna push for that?

[Larry]

2 minutes ago, TheGreatBuzz said:

Is there anything that polls higher than legalizing marijuana?  When is he gonna push for that?

 

Been saying for decades that I think what the Feds need to do, is a federal law declaring that the Feds will regulate interstate commerce in recreational drugs.  Maybe have things like the FDA regulate safety or purity standards.  But that deciding legality or criminal penalties for drugs are a state matter.  Pot (to start with) can be legal in CA and CO, and illegal in AL.  

 

----------

 

Recall hearing a story from decades ago.  It's a drug trial.  Jury has been deliberating for several hours.  And the jury sends a note to the judge:  

 

Since, in 1919, it took a constitutional amendment to give the federal government the authority to ban alcohol, where is the constitutional authority for the federal government to ban cocaine?  

 

The judge demanded to know which juror had asked the question, and removed him from the jury.  

[China]

So much for striking while the iron is hot.

 

Pelosi breaks bad news to moderates: No vote on infrastructure this month

 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made clear to rank-and-file Democrats on Wednesday that the House will not take up the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure package this month, rejecting calls from moderates in her caucus who are demanding a quick vote.

 

The announcement, in her first call with House Democrats since the successful Senate vote on Tuesday, was largely expected. Pelosi, since the infrastructure talks launched in earnest months ago, has adopted the position that the House will not turn to the $1 trillion infrastructure package until the Senate passes a much larger $3.5 trillion package chock full of Democratic social benefits programs and climate initiatives.

 

That strategy has been championed by progressive lawmakers in the House who don’t quite trust some of the centrist Democrats in the Senate and want to use the bipartisan infrastructure bill as leverage — critics say as hostage — to ensure the larger $3.5 trillion package clears the upper chamber.

 

Pelosi, during Wednesday’s call, leaned on the sentiments of those liberals in making her case to push the infrastructure vote until later in the year.

 

“I am not freelancing. This is the consensus,” she said, according to a source familiar with her message.

 

Pelosi praised both the Senate and President Biden for reaching a bipartisan agreement on infrastructure — a massive spending proposal that the Senate passed in a 69-30 vote, garnering support from 19 Republicans and all 50 members of the Democratic caucus.

 

But the Speaker has also been clear that the infrastructure package alone is insufficient to tackle the challenges facing the country when it comes to economic inequality, health care disparities, workers rights and the warming planet. It’s those issues that Democrats will address in the second legislative package, which is expected to move under special budget rules, known as reconciliation, which preclude the Republicans’ filibuster powers and allow Senate Democrats to pass the measure with a simple majority.

 

The Senate passed the budget blueprint early Wednesday morning, setting the stage for the $3.5 trillion package, and the House will come back to Washington the week of Aug. 23 to adopt that Senate-passed budget. The $3.5 trillion package would include funding for expanded child tax credits, community college, universal pre-kindergarten and an expansion of Medicare to include dental and vision coverage. 

 

“The president has said he’s all for the bipartisan approach ... bravo! That’s progress, but it ain’t the whole vision,” Pelosi said on the call. “The votes in the House and Senate depend on us having both bills.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Burgold]

3 hours ago, TheGreatBuzz said:

Is there anything that polls higher than legalizing marijuana?  When is he gonna push for that?

I remember him muttering about being for it a little during the campaign. I suspect, though popular, legalizing marijuana is a much harder push. One that would be much easier for Republicans to defy and obstruct. They have decades of precedent behind them after all. I also imagine many Dems are not completely on sure footing when it comes to marijuana.

 

Personally, I figure if tobacco and alcohol can be legal then I see no real compelling reason why marijuana shouldn't be... I do think it should be legal in a restricted way (just as we do with alcohol) by age if nothing else. DWI, DUI, and other laws concerning behavior that happens when impaired ought to cover the risks.

[TheGreatBuzz]

27 minutes ago, Borgold said:

I remember him muttering about being for it a little during the campaign. I suspect, though popular, legalizing marijuana is a much harder push. One that would be much easier for Republicans to defy and obstruct. They have decades of precedent behind them after all. I also imagine many Dems are not completely on sure footing when it comes to marijuana.

 

Personally, I figure if tobacco and alcohol can be legal then I see no real compelling reason why marijuana shouldn't be... I do think it should be legal in a restricted way (just as we do with alcohol) by age if nothing else. DWI, DUI, and other laws concerning behavior that happens when impaired ought to cover the risks.

Yea I agree with your points on it’s legality but this isn’t the thread for that discussion.  I brought it up as a counterpoint to the “they were getting too much blow back from rejecting popular stuff.”

[Larry]

52 minutes ago, Borgold said:

I remember him muttering about being for it a little during the campaign. I suspect, though popular, legalizing marijuana is a much harder push. One that would be much easier for Republicans to defy and obstruct. They have decades of precedent behind them after all. I also imagine many Dems are not completely on sure footing when it comes to marijuana.

 

 

And it might be like gun control.  

 

A big majority of the population might say on a poll that they support more gun control.  But the number who will change their vote based on it is considerably smaller.  Whereas the number of gun control opponents who will change their vote based on that one issue is a lot larger.  

 

Gun control might poll well.  But the politician who votes for it will lose a lot more votes than he gains.  

 

Least, that's my opinion.  

[Simmsy]

10 hours ago, Borgold said:

I suspect it's because they were getting too much blow back from rejecting popular stuff. Biden has been smart in pushing an agenda that has really high support across the board and among all voters. He's demanding Republicans vote against their voters wishes time and time again. I think the Republicans know they can only vote against what their constituancies want so many times before they start getting upset with them. I think they know they can only take credit for so many bills they voted against before the public says, "What the hell? If you knew it was good and are glad of it why did you rant against it time after time?"

They've gotten blowback before, they never cared then. It must be massive or unrelenting...

[Burgold]

You may be right. There may be something else to these calculations. Maybe voting against infrastructure was a bridge to far even for Mitch McConnell (pun completely intended) or maybe he thinks that the Dems will implode just like the Rs did on every Infrastructure week they attempted.

[tshile]

I seriously doubt the office of the president will find any value in federally legalizing marijuana when you can just tell the dea to not go after it. Doesn’t matter which party. Obama, Trump, and Biden, and whoever follows, will all punt that back to the states because why would you risk anything else?

 

if congress sends a bill - they’ll sign it. But they’re not going to waste their political capital on it. 

[88Comrade2000]

Here Are 5 Hurdles That Democrats Face Now For Their $3.5 Trillion Budget