{"id":117203,"date":"2021-06-25T18:34:36","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T18:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=117203"},"modified":"2021-06-25T18:34:36","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T18:34:36","slug":"biden-stands-by-two-track-bill-process-despite-republican-dismay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/biden-stands-by-two-track-bill-process-despite-republican-dismay\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden stands by 'two-track' bill process, despite Republican dismay"},"content":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Democratic Senator Krysten Sinema on the bipartisan infrastructure agreement, the White House said Friday, and reiterated his support for a \u201ctwo-track\u201d legislation process that includes a second reconciliation bill.<\/p> \u201cThe President reiterated strong support for both the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill and a reconciliation bill containing the American Families Plan moving forward on a two-track system, as he said yesterday when meeting the press with the bipartisan group of ten Senators,\u201d the White House said in a statement.<\/p>\n After House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said early on Thursday her chamber would not vote on the first infrastructure package unless the second reconciliation bill passed the Senate, Biden publicly seconded the idea.<\/p>\n \u201cI expect that in the coming months this summer, before the fiscal year is over, that we will have voted on this bill, the infrastructure bill, as well as voted on the budget resolution,\u201d Biden told reporters on Thursday. \u201cBut if only one comes to me, I\u2019m not signing it. It\u2019s in tandem.\u201d<\/p>\n Some Republicans in Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have objected to linking the two bills together, and accused Biden of bad-faith negotiations.<\/p>\n A Republican source familiar with Thursday\u2019s White House meeting said the topic of reconciliation came up only briefly and without administration pressure on either the Republican or Democratic lawmakers present.<\/p>\n Republicans later said they felt blindsided by Biden\u2019s comment that he would not sign the bipartisan legislation alone and that the measure would have to move in tandem with reconciliation.<\/p>\n One Republican aide said lawmakers had expected partisan tactics from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi but that Biden\u2019s open involvement was over the top, after what had appeared to be good faith negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have all heard the president say multiple times publicly that he wanted to move these bills forward in parallel paths, and that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happening,\u201d White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. \u201cThat hasn\u2019t been a secret, he hasn\u2019t said it quietly. He has hasn\u2019t even whispered it. He said it very much aloud.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe leaders in the House and the Senate are going to determine the sequencing, the timeline, and he looks forward to signing both pieces of legislation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n