House Delays Vote On 'Build Back Better' Spending Bill

A vote on the massive social spending legislation was pushed back due to a more than eight-hour speech from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Democrats brushed aside monthslong divisions and approached House passage of their expansive social and environment bill Friday, as President Joe Biden and his party neared a defining win in their drive to use their control of government to funnel its resources toward their domestic priorities.

Final approval, which had been expected Thursday, was delayed as Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy embarked on an eight-and-a-half-hour broadside criticizing President Biden, Democrats and the bill. When he finished, the House recessed briefly before resuming its work Friday. Passage was expected later in the morning.

House approval was still expected on a near party-line vote. That would send the measure to a Senate where cost-cutting demands by moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and that chamber's strict rules seem certain to force significant changes. That will prompt fresh disputes between party centrists and moderates that will likely take weeks to resolve.