Democrats face monster December collision

[Geee]

The Hill

Democrats are setting up a massive December cliff as they punt several key deadlines to the back of the year. 

The party needs to fund the government to prevent a shutdown by Dec. 3, and it also faces another debt ceiling crisis that could hit as soon as mid-December, according to an analysis released late last week. 

Democrats also bought themselves more time to finish a bipartisan infrastructure bill and the “Build Back Better” legislation by passing a second short-term highway funding stopgap that will also expire on Dec. 3. 

 

 

 

“Here we go again,” Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said about the decision to kick the can, quipping that Dec. 3 “will be a momentous day around here.” 

Progressives think the House could be ready to vote on the $1.75 trillion spending package, which the White House released a framework for late last week, and infrastructure bill as soon as this week. Though the infrastructure bill passed the Senate in August, it’s been stuck in limbo in the House for months because progressives have linked the two bills. 

“I think, you know, the fact that we have the text is huge, and we are in conversation with the two senators, and so I feel positive,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). 

But Democratic leadership hasn’t indicated yet how it will juggle the competing priorities and Congress is notoriously bad at multitasking major pieces of legislation. :snip: