LARGELY IGNORING THE CASE AFTER
PUSHING STORIES THE OTHER WAY.
WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH AN
ABSOLUTELY UNFORGETTABLE FRIDAY
ON CAPITAL-TOLKIEN - - A CAPITOL
HILL AS A DEAL IS FINALLY
REACHED CONGRESSIONAL
CORRESPONDENT - - WHAT DAY.
>> GOOD EVENING, KEVIN, THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TONIGHT
HAS AWARDED PRESIDENT BIDEN A
MAJOR COMPONENT OF HIS ECONOMIC
AGENDA ON A BIPARTISAN VOTE THE
HOUSE APPROVED A $1.5 TRILLION
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, 228 TO 206.
13 REPUBLICANS VOTED YES YES,
SIX DEMOCRATS VOTED NO.
THIS CAME AFTER THE PRESIDENT
WORKED THE PHONES ALL DAY, HE
ALSO CALLED IN TO A MEETING OF
PROGRESSIVE MEMBERS.
THERE WAS A TRUCE BETWEEN
LIBERAL AND MODERATE DEMOCRATS
WHO HELD UP THE BILL THROUGHOUT
THE DAY.
>> WE NEED TO GET BOTH BILLS
DONE, WE’VE ALWAYS SAID WE NEED
TO GET BOTH BILLS DONE, AND
TONIGHT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT
THAT WILL GET BOTH BILLS DONE.
WE’RE GONNA TRUST EACH OTHER,
BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS
TOGETHER ON THIS.
WE ARE UNITED, BUT IT IS
IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET BOTH
BILLS DONE.
>> WE’VE ALSO REACHED AN
AGREEMENT TO TONIGHT MOVE
FORWARD ON A COMMON SENSE BUILD
BACK BETTER RECONCILIATION BILL,
FISCAL ANALYSIS IS CONSISTENT
WITH THE WHITE HOUSE FINANCIAL
NUMBERS WE RECEIVED LAST NIGHT.
>> HERE’S THE AGREEMENT.
MODERATE PLEDGE TO SUPPORT THE
SPENDING PLAN SO LONG AS THE
HOUSE CONSIDERED - -
LIBERALS RAGE AD-ED AT HOW
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS TRIED TO
FORCE THE ISSUE.
>> WELL, THE WHOLE DEAL WAS A
CLUSTER [BLEEP] RIGHT? BEYOND
THAT, I WAS JUST UP THERE WHEN
WE THEY GOING THROUGH ALL THIS A
LITTLE WHILE AGO, AN HOUR OR SO,
I THOUGHT EVERYONE WAS WORKING
IN A VERY CONGENIAL WAY.
>> OTHER LIBERALS TOOK OUT THEIR
FRUSTRATIONS ON MODERATES.
>> LOOK, WE BEGAN TODAY WITH
WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS AN
UNDERSTANDING, READY TO CAST OUR
VOTES, AND A VERY SMALL COHORT
OF OUR COLLEAGUES MOVED THE GOAL
POSTS SO WE’RE TRYING TO PUT THE
TOOTH PASTE BACK IN THE TUBE AT
THIS POINT.
>> THE SOCIAL SPENDING BILL IS
FAR FROM FINISHED, HOUSE
MAJORITY LEADER SAYS IT WON’T BE
UP UNTIL LATER THIS MONTH.
MODERATE STILL WANT A PRICE TAG
REGARDLESS O THE SENATE WILL
CHANGE THE HOUSE PLAN AND
EVENTUALLY PERHAPS IN DECEMBER
THE HOUSE MUST EAT WHATEVER
CHANGES THE SENATE MAKES.
KEVIN?
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THAT,
BECAUSE CHAD, ACCORDING TO SOME
REPORTING OUT THERE, THIS COULD
BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
I’M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE CBO
ANALYSIS, HOW LONG MIGHT THAT
TAKE BEFORE WE GET SOMETHING
LIKE THAT TO CHEW OVER?
>> WE’RE THINKING ABOUT A WEEK,
WEEK AND A HALF.
THAT’S WHY THE MODERATES WANTED
TO HOLD OFF ON THIS VOTE BECAUSE
THEY WANTED A FINAL EVALUATION.
THEY HAD SOME SCORES FROM THE
COMMITTEE ON TAXATION, JOINT
COMMITTEE ON TAXATION HERE ON
CAPITOL CAPITOL HILL AND
TREASURY.
KEEP IN MIND IN THE SENATE THEY
HAVE STRICT BUDGET RULES THAT
HAS TO BE WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO
BE BUDGET NEUTRAL AND YOU HAVE
JILL MANCHEN AND THERE MIGHT BE
SOME EXPENSIVE THINGS IN THIS
BILL FROM THE HOUSE THAT THEY
TAKE OUT TO MEET THOSE BUDGET
RULES IN THE SENATE AND THEN
KICK IT BACK TO THE HOUSE.
WHEN YOU LOSE SOME VOTES IN THE
HOUSE, REMEMBER NANCY PELOSI
ONLY HAS THREE VOTES TO PLAY
WITH.
IF YOU HAVE MUCH ATTRITION
THERE, THAT MIGHT NOT PASS IN
THE HOUSE.
YOU COULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT
COULD GET THROUGH THE SENATE,
BUT NOT THROUGH THE MORE LIBERAL
HOUSE, KEVIN.
>> RAPID FIRE REALLY QUICK, A
COUPLE MORE I WANT TO THROW YOUR
WAY.
DID THE PROGRESSIVES BLINK
TONIGHT?
>> BOTH SIDES BLINKED A LITTLE
BIT HERE, FRANKLY.
THE FACT THAT THE PROGRESSIVES
HAVE ALWAYS WANTED THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THE
SOCIAL SPENDING BILL PACKAGED
TOGETHER, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN
TONIGHT.
>> LET ME ASK YOU WHY DID 13
REPUBLICANS SIGN ON ON THIS?
>> WELL, REMEMBER THESE ARE
MODERATE REPUBLICANS, A LOT OF
THEM ARE FROM SOMEWHAT SWING-ISH
DISTRICTS.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
REPUBLICANS THERE.
OTHERS YOU KNOW WHO SWAY A
LITTLE BIT TOWARD THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY, ANTHONY GONZALEZ A
REPUBLICAN FROM OHIO, THOSE THEY
SOME OF THE REPUBLICANS WHO
VOTED AND DON’T GO -T THERE WAS
A BIG VOTE BY REPUBLICANS IN THE
SENATE WHO SIGNED ON TO THIS
INCLUDING THE SENATE MINORITY
LEAD LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL.