Work on infrastructure bills in Congress may miss Pelosi’s deadline, top Dem says

Congress may miss House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Sept. 27 deadline for passing a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, a top Democrat said on Sunday.

Posing an obstacle to its passage are dozens of progressive House Democrats who have vowed to withhold their support unless a bigger $3.5 trillion package gets a vote as well.

The Senate passed the smaller bill earlier this month, but the larger package — which Dems want to pass through a process known as budget reconciliation — may not be ready by Sept. 27, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said.

“There’s always a possibility that the vote will get delayed, but the question is, are we going to work to get to our goal for Sept. 27?” the South Carolina Democrat said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“Yes, we are going to work hard to reach that goal and sometimes, you have to kind of stop the clock to get to the goal.”

Thirteen House committees have worked on the package, and the Budget Committee is tasked with combining the various components into one bill.

Democrats in Congress are still shooting for a Sept. 27 vote on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, but “there is always a possibility the vote is going to be delayed," House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said on Sunday.

Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, a Democrat from Kentucky, predicted an “early October” date for passing the $1 trillion bill.

“I would say we’re probably going to slip past the Sept. 27 date,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”

West Virginia’s Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has voiced opposition to the larger infrastructure package, saying he wants it cut by almost 60%.

The $1 trillion package includes funding for rebuilding roads and bridges, boosting broadband internet access and protecting the country from climate change. The larger bill focuses on what Dems are calling “human infrastructure,” with billions of dollars for universal pre-K, public housing and more.

“We ought to stop focusing on the number and start looking at what needs to be done,” Clyburn said.

Once completed, a train tunnel that is part of the East Side Access will connect rail yards in Queens with Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. (Mark Lennihan/)

Along with the infrastructure packages, Congress is set to take on spending for basic government functions when lawmakers return to work on Monday.

Government funding is set to expire at the end of the month, posing the risk of a potential shutdown. Democrats are expected to pass a stopgap spending measure known as a continuing resolution.