Susan Cornwell and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress on Friday was struggling to reach an agreement on President Joe Biden’s sweeping agenda, with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowing to hold a vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

The promise was made shortly after midnight, after the party’s progressive and moderate wings had failed to agree on a companion bill that would include social spending as well as addressing climate change.

Pelosi stated to reporters that she would vote “today” as she left U.S. Capitol. Pelosi made a similar promise to reporters on Thursday, but it was not kept.

In a bipartisan vote, the Senate approved the $1 trillion bill. It includes funding for roads and bridges, as well as other infrastructure. The vote was delayed by moderates who urged for it to be voted on this week. Progressives, however, insisted that the bill would not be approved without agreement on a companion legislation which Senate Democrats will pass with no Republican votes.

Biden’s Democrats require almost complete unity in order to pass legislation, despite their slim majority in Congress. Biden is unlikely to win a policy victory from the Republicans, who are eager to block Biden’s chances of winning before 2022, which will be a time when their chance to regain majorities in Congress, becomes more difficult.

Biden, his staff and his assistants face increasing odds of passing the $3.5 trillion Social Spending Plan. According to those familiar with this matter, they are looking for a narrower solution to unite an ideologically split Democratic caucus.

The party’s left-leaning lawmakers have indicated that they won’t vote in support of the infrastructure bill if they don’t feel their priorities will be represented by the social spending bill.

On Thursday, Ilhan Omar (Democratic Representative), a prominent House progressive said to reporters: “Nothing’s changed with our caucus member. We do not have enough votes to pass infrastructure.

Joe Manchin, a moderate Democratic senator has suggested a spending package that would amount to $1.5 trillion. Kyrsten Silena, a Democratic moderate, refused to confirm Manchin’s suggestion. Biden met her several times to discuss this bill.

THREAT TO DEBT-CEILING

Yet another high-stakes fight is ongoing between congressional Democrats and Republicans over whether to give the Treasury Department more borrowing authority than the current legal limit of $28.4 Trillion. If Congress does not act, a historic U.S. default could happen around October 18, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen estimates.

Republicans say they don’t want to be part of any debt increase. They claim it is Democrats’ problem because they control Congress, the White House and Congress. Democrats point out that $5 trillion of our nation’s debt can be attributed to tax cuts and spending decisions made during Republican Donald Trump’s presidency.

A bill suspending the debt limit until December 2022 was approved by Congress late Wednesday. Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that the Senate might vote on the bill “as soon next week”. However, Republicans could block it.