Congress returns to work facing major decisions on Biden's agenda and infrastructure
Congress faces a pile of big decisions on the debt ceiling, funding the federal government, Biden's $3.5 trillion budget bill, $1.2 trillion infrastructure legislation and voting rights.
Bart Jansen- Lawmakers are piecing together a $3.5 trillion bill that Democrats want to pass without Republicans..
- The House faces a Sept. 27 deadline to vote on a $1.2 trillion bill for roads and bridges.
- The Senate wants to take another vote on voting rights, despite GOP opposition.
WASHINGTON – Congress gets back to work Monday facing several major decisions that will test Democratic unity in the coming weeks as lawmakers vote on President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, routine funding for the federal government and the size of the federal debt.
Part of the reason for the collision of so many big-ticket spending bills is that lawmakers approved a two-year deal in 2019 for more spending and a suspension of the debt limit. The bills are coming due while pressure builds to pass Biden's $3.5 trillion budget bill and a $1.2 trillion transportation plan to fund roads and bridges.
The Senate ran into a hurdle Sunday, when the parliamentarian ruled that immigration provisions can't be included in the $3.5 trillion package because the provisions are "merely incidental" to the budget. Democratic leaders must decide whether they can salvage or must drop the provisions.
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