Linking infrastructure and reconciliation bills 'would devastate America's economy': Rep. Scalise

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise told “Sunday Morning Futures” that Democrats are “tying the infrastructure package hostage” to the reconciliation bill and argued that linking the two “would devastate America's economy."

Biden spoke to reporters on his way to Delaware for the weekend after left-wing Democrats had moved to scupper the passage of a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill if it was voted on before a separate $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill packed with left-wing priorities on social spending and climate changes, along with significant tax increases for wealthier Americans. 

The latter bill would have been advanced using the budget reconciliation process, meaning it would only need 50 votes in the Senate, and therefore avoid a Republican filibuster. It would, however, require every one of the 50 Senate Democrats to be on board.

That unity looked in doubt this week due to objections to the sky-high price tag from moderate Democrats including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., who are seeking to bring the price down. Without their support, the legislation is likely dead on arrival in the Senate, since the bill is not designed to garner Republican support.