WASHINGTON - White House officials are signaling to Congress that the time is running short for negotiations around President Joe Biden's infrastructure and social spending packages and their desire for a deal to get done quickly.
One familiar with the White House s perspective on the matter said that while the president believes good progress has been made in negotiations, he thinks it is crucial to pass bills quickly and officials are pushing members to do so.
The time for negotiations is not unending, and we are eager to move forward; we are eager to deliver on what he promised the American people, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. She said that the White House was not setting any deadlines but that it is time to move forward with negotiations. The White House had anticipated passing an infrastructure spending bill and a larger social spending package shortly after the end of the summer. While the Senate passed a $550 billion infrastructure bill in August, it is stalled in the House while progressives are pushing to also get a proposed $3.5 trillion bill that would fund a diverse suite of social programs.
House Democrats missed a self-imposed deadline to pass the infrastructure bill by September 30, with moderates and progressives divided over the price tag for the larger bill at the end of September.