Pelosi and progressives headed for clash over bipartisan infrastructure bill

Washington — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive lawmakers in the House are headed for a face-off with a vote this week on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, as the California Democrat de-linked the narrow measure from the much broader $3.5 trillion social spending package amid party divisions over its price tag.

While Pelosi initially planned to move the two proposals through Congress simultaneously as part of a dual-track strategy endorsed by Democratic leaders and President Biden, the speaker told members of her caucus during a meeting Monday the approach has to change, two sources familiar with the comments told CBS News.

Pelosi said while the House was initially on schedule to take up the bipartisan infrastructure bill after the larger package cleared the Senate, the landscape changed 10 days ago when she learned the $3.5 trillion topline figure had to come down, the sources said.