House passes Biden’s massive spending bill

04 house vote 11 19 2021 nancy pelosi
Applause breaks out after House passes Biden spending bill
00:55 - Source: CNN

What you need to know

  • The House passed President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion spending bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, after House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy delivered a record-breaking marathon speech Thursday night that stalled action.
  • The bill now faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has expressed major concerns over a variety of elements of the plan. 
  • Earlier this month, Congress passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill and President Biden signed it into law, marking a win for his domestic agenda.

Our live coverage has ended. Read more about today’s vote in the posts below.

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The spending bill now faces an uncertain path in the Senate

The moon, with a partial lunar eclipse, is seen behind the dome of the Capitol in Washington, DC, early on November 19.

The House today passed President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion spending bill, known as the Build Back Better Act – a major piece of legislation that would transform the nation’s social safety net, despite being whittled down to roughly half its original size amid infighting between the party’s moderate and progressive wings.

Now the bill must be taken up by the Senate, an effort that will put party unity to the ultimate test.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the House passed the bill that the Senate “will act as quickly as possible to get this bill to President Biden’s desk and deliver help for middle-class families.”

Schumer said they’ll take it up, “As soon as the necessary technical and procedural work with the Senate Parliamentarian has been completed.”

Senate Democrats have no margin of error to approve the legislation and key lawmakers — most prominently moderate West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin — have expressed concerns over elements of the plan as policy fights loom on the horizon.

Manchin told CNN on Thursday that he has not decided whether to support voting to proceed to the Build Back Better bill, the critical first vote to take up the measure in the Senate. Any one Democratic defection would stall the effort.

“No,” Manchin said when asked if he had made a decision to vote to proceed. “I’m still looking at everything.” The comments reflect that Manchin is still not on board with the legislation and signal the tough road ahead for Democrats.

The West Virginia Democrat said that he wants to see the final numbers from the Congressional Budget Office and changes made to the bill. “I just haven’t seen the final, the final bill. So when the final bill comes out, CBO score comes out, then we’ll go from there,” he said.

Manchin also reiterated his concerns about inflation. “Everyone’s concerned, they should be concerned about inflation, because it’s real. Inflation is real,” he said. “So we got to make sure we get through this the best we can, and put no more burden on them.”

A fight is also brewing over a controversial tax provision that some progressives have decried as a giveaway to the rich.

Earlier this month, House Democrats came to an agreement to deal with state and local tax deductions after Democrats from the Northeast and West Coast had pushed to loosen the caps imposed by the 2017 tax law. Under the SALT deal, deductions would be capped at $80,000 per year over a nine-year time span.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, on Thursday railed on the House provisions dealing with the state and local tax deductions, calling it “wrong” and “bad politics.”

White House highlights provisions in Build Back Better Act after House passage

The White House continued to tout the House passage of President Biden’s sweeping Build Back Better Act on Friday, with press secretary Jen Psaki highlighting its provisions as she kicked off the daily briefing. 

She ticked off a list of items in the bill, including funding for pre-K, childcare, and health insurance, as well as provisions lowering prescription drug prices and housing costs.

The bill, she said, “reduces the deficit by $112 billion over 10 years,” noting that economists have analyzed that “the President’s agenda will not contribute to higher prices” amid high inflation.

The White House, she said, is “looking forward” to the bill moving through the Senate.

How Democrats plan to pay for the sweeping spending bill

After months of negotiations, the House passed the Democrats’ sweeping $1.9 trillion budget reconciliation package on Friday.

The bill, which now goes to the Senate, would transform the nation’s social safety net despite being whittled down to roughly half its original size amid infighting between the party’s moderate and progressive wings.

The Democrats fractured over measures to cover their original sweeping $3.5 trillion spending proposal.

Initial plans to make companies and well-off Americans pay by raising the corporate tax rate and the top marginal individual income and capital gains rates were scuttled by Democratic moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

The party then floated a billionaire tax on the capital gains of the super-wealthy, but that quickly withered after resistance from Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, another key Democratic moderate, and several others in the Senate and House.

Biden and congressional Democratic leaders ultimately settled on a mix of corporate and individual revenue raising measures, along with two prescription drug provisions.

Under the House version, most middle-income families with children would get a tax cut in 2022 — thanks to an expanded child tax credit — and those without kids would generally see little change in their tax bills, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

Overall, nearly 40% of households would see a tax cut and nearly 19% would pay more in 2022 than they do now, according to the analysis. However, about 70% of those earning more than $1 million a year would enjoy a tax cut.

Here a look at some of the key measures to cover the plan:

Corporate taxes: The bill would put in place a 15% minimum tax on the corporate profits that large companies report to shareholders, not to the Internal Revenue Service. This would apply to companies with more than $1 billion in profits. The legislation also includes a 1% surcharge on corporate stock buybacks.

Also, it would impose a 15% minimum tax, calculated on a country-by-country basis, that American companies pay on foreign profits, consistent with an agreement Biden recently won among 136 countries. The provisions would yield an estimated $814 billion, the Joint Committee on Taxation said.

Taxes on the rich: The wealthiest Americans would pay a 5% surcharge on income above $10 million, and an additional 3% levy on income above $25 million.

Next year, about 30,000 tax filers are expected to make $10 million or more, according to the Tax Policy Center. About 12,000 of them are likely to earn at least $25 million.

The bill would also close the loopholes that allow some affluent taxpayers to avoid paying the 3.8% net investment income tax on their earnings. And it would continue the limitation on excess business losses. This measure would raise $640 billion, the committee estimates.

IRS enforcement: The bill would beef up IRS enforcement so that it can ensure that people are paying what they owe to Uncle Sam. The new enforcement measure would focus on Americans with the highest incomes, not those earning less than $400,000 a year.

The CBO estimates that the provision would raise revenue by $207 billion — far less than the $400 billion that the Treasury Department had projected. But White House officials have been arguing for weeks that the numbers would not line up due to methodological differences, criticizing the way the CBO accounts for the indirect effects the enhanced enforcement would have.

Read more about the costs and payment measures here.

The spending bill is expected to undergo major revisions in the Senate

The Build Back Better bill is expected to undergo major revisions in the Senate as Democrats who have expressed concerns over aspects of the package are likely to demand significant changes.

That would then require the House to vote again — on a final version of the legislation — in the coming weeks before it goes to President Biden’s desk.

Senate Democrats need all 50 members of their caucus to support the bill in order to pass it under a budget process they are using to advance the measure without GOP votes known as reconciliation. That makes the task for Democrats particularly difficult since it means there can be no defections and passage will require total unity.

In an early sign of the impending efforts to change the bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in a statement after the House vote that the Senate will “strengthen” the bill.

“I applaud Democrats in the House of Representatives for uniting to pass the Build Back Better Act. The Senate has an opportunity to make this a truly historic piece of legislation. We will listen to the demands of the American people and strengthen the bill,” Sanders tweeted.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the House vote that the Senate “will act as quickly as possible” to take up the legislation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi downplayed the potential for significant changes to the legislation in the Senate.

“Ninety-some percent of the bill was written together, House, Senate, White House. There were some differences at the end, and we’ll deal with those as we go forward,” Pelosi said at a press conference after the House vote.

“We’ll see where we need to, shall we say, reconcile our differences, but at the end of the day we will have a great bill,” she said.

Read up on what the Democrats’ sweeping social spending plan might include once passed here

House Democrat: "Everybody's determined" to send spending bill to Biden's desk before Christmas

Rep. Debbie Dingell speaks at a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 2.

Senior Whip Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, expressed confidence that the sweeping $1.9 trillion spending bill will be passed in Congress before Christmas. 

“I think that everybody’s determined to make that happen,” she said on CNN.

Dingell said she spoke with President Biden when he went to Michigan this week, and he told her he has spent nearly 100 hours speaking with moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this year. 

“I think the President will continue to work very closely with the two senators,” Dingell said, referring to Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who have pushed back against elements of the bill.

Dingell said that she doesn’t think there will be huge alterations to the Build Back Better Act to get it through the Senate. 

“Most of the programs in there will be as we know it,” she said. “There’ll probably be some discussion on taxes, paid family leave. But I think the bill as we see it will be very close to what we see cross the finish line.” 

When asked how Democrats will sell it to the American people amid inflation worries, Dingell said, “We do know that we got to do a better job of telling people what’s in this bill.”

She added that House members will hold 1,000 events in the next few weeks to promote the bill to Americans. 

Progressive caucus chair says she "feels very good" on how spending bill will return from Senate

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal speaks with reporters outside the Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 18.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she “feels very good about” the spending bill and that it will return from the Senate looking much like it does now, despite not being given assurances from Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema as she said she wanted.

“There was a framework that was agreed to,” Jayapal said on MSNBC minutes after the Build Back Better Act passed the House. “The vast majority of this bill is pre-conferenced with Sens. Manchin and Sinema. I have had my own conversations with them, but this is, again, a place where President Biden has shown tremendous leadership.”

“Now, there are a few things that aren’t pre-conferenced,” she added. “We’ll have to work those out, but I believe, through my own conversations with those senators, as well as the President’s own commitment that he is confident that we can get 51 votes, we’re going to get this done and get it done before Christmas, hopefully in the first weeks of December. And people are going to see once again that government’s got your back — that Democrats in the House, the Senate and the White House delivered for them.”

Jayapal did not elaborate on what in the bill was not pre-conferenced.

Top House Democrats say "historic" spending bill will affect generations of Americans

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds a press conference after the House passed the Build Back Better Act at the Capitol on November 19.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats spoke to reporters after voting to pass President Biden’s sweeping spending bill.

“Today, we had the honor of participating in passing legislation for the people to build back better. As I always say, with women, for the children,” Pelosi said.

She lauded Biden, saying that while the infrastructure bill was “was very, very important,” it “was not the sum total of his vision.”

Pelosi said she is most excited about family medical leave in this legislation.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called the Build Back Better Act a “historic piece of legislation.”

“This bill will speak for itself to millions and millions and millions and millions of Americans whose lives will be made more secure, more richer in terms of quality of life, whose educational opportunities will be greater, and whose job opportunities will be greatly enhanced. And America’s competitiveness in the world will be heightened for the 21st century,” Hoyer said.

“It’s big win for the people, for the average working men and women of America, for those who struggle every day and hope that somebody is on their side, somebody is listening to their pain and their struggle and their challenge,” Hoyer added. “This bill is an answer.”

Majority Whip James Clyburn said he thinks the act, combined with the infrastructure package and the American Rescue Plan Act, will address issues that the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed in the US.

“I always talk about this being a great country. But the fact that we have not allowed this greatness to be accessible and affordable for all of our citizens, these three pieces of legislation accomplish that in a big way,” he said.

Biden applauds "giant step forward" with Build Back Better passage

President Biden applauded the House’s passage of the Build Back Better Act Friday in a statement released by the White House, calling it a “giant step forward” for his agenda. 

“I thank Speaker Pelosi and the House leadership and every House member who worked so hard and voted to pass this bill. For the second time in just two weeks, the House of Representatives has moved on critical and consequential pieces of my legislative agenda,” Biden said in a statement. 

He continued, “Now, the Build Back Better Act goes to the United States Senate, where I look forward to it passing as soon as possible so I can sign it into law.” 

No Republicans voted for the spending bill. Only one Democrat voted against it. 

The final tally of the spending bill vote was 220 to 213.

Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote against the bill and no Republicans voted for it.

Golden announced ahead of the final House vote that he would vote against the bill, citing the tax provision.

“Many of my colleagues argue this major line item is worth accepting to pass the rest of the bill,” Golden said in a statement to the Bangor Daily News. “I disagree: the SALT giveaway in the Build Back Better Act is larger than the child care, pre-K, healthcare or senior care provisions of the bill.”

Golden did not rule out voting for the final package in the future.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended the legislation against criticism that wealthy Americans will benefit disproportionately as a result of the provisions.

Here's what's in the Build Back Better Act Democrats just passed in the House

Rep. Katherine Clark, right, hugs House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the House passage of President Joe Biden's spending bill at the Capitol on November 19.

The Build Back Better Act represents a central part of President Biden’s policy agenda and an attempt by congressional Democrats to go at it alone without GOP support to enact a major expansion of the social safety net.

The House and Senate recently passed, and Biden then signed into law, a separate $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, which marked a major legislative achievement for both parties.

The Build Back Better Act is an effort by Democrats to build on that investment in traditional infrastructure by making extensive investments to ramp up social programs and address the climate crisis.

Among its many provisions, the legislation would create a universal pre-K program, extend the enhanced child tax credit and expand access to health care, affordable housing and home care for seniors.

Democrats argue that the provisions in the bill are urgently needed and will widely benefit Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, have decried the legislation as a reckless and partisan tax and spending spree.

The Congressional Budget Office released its final scoring for the bill early Thursday evening, estimating that the package “would result in a net increase in the deficit totaling $367 billion,” according to a summary.

But the White House has worked to make the case that the bill will be fully paid for, despite the CBO analysis showing a shortfall.

The CBO analysis does not include revenue from tighter IRS enforcement. The CBO estimated earlier that would raise $207 billion.

The White House argues that increased IRS enforcement would actually raise more than what the CBO projects, meaning the bill would be fully paid for in their estimate.

Read more about the legislation here.

House Republicans call for a motion to reconsider

House Republicans called for a motion to reconsider after President Biden’s spending bill was passed on Friday.

This is a protest vote by the GOP, asking the House to undo the vote on the bill. 

It is set to fail.

The lawmakers will now head home for Thanksgiving 

After the House passed President Biden’s sweeping spending bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, the lawmakers will now head home for Thanksgiving.

The Senate is already out.

The bill will head to the Senate when lawmakers return, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he hopes to have it on the floor by Christmas, putting it on a tight timeline even in the best of circumstances, CNN reporter Jessica Dean explained.

Pelosi will speak to reporters after the House passed Biden's $1.9 trillion spending bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces the Build Back Better bill has passed at the Capitol on November 19.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will speak with reporters soon, after House Democrats voted to pass President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion social safety net expansion legislation.

It’s a victory for the party even as the legislation faces a tough road ahead in the Senate, and changes are expected.

The final vote was 220 to 213, with Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voting against the bill. No Republicans voted for it.

The vote took place on Friday morning after House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy stalled an effort to vote Thursday evening by delivering a record-breaking marathon floor speech overnight.

The House just passed Biden's Build Back Better Act. The bill now goes to the Senate. 

The House floor at the Capitol on November 19.

The House just passed President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion spending bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, a victory for the party even as the legislation faces a tough road ahead in the Senate.

Democrats could be seen celebrating and clapping after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the legislation’s passage.

The final vote was 220 to 213, with Democrat Jared Golden of Maine voting against the bill. No Republicans voted for it.

The sweeping economic legislation stands as a key pillar of Biden’s domestic agenda.

It would deliver on long-standing Democratic priorities by dramatically expanding social services for Americans, working to mitigate the climate crisis, increasing access to health care and delivering aid to families and children.

What happens next: The bill must now must go to the Senate, where changes are expected. All 50 members of the Senate Democratic caucus must support the package for it to pass under the budget process that Democrats are using to move the legislation without GOP support, but West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has expressed concerns over key elements of the plan and policy fights loom on the horizon.

See a full breakdown of the bill here.

CNN’s Manu Raju contributed reporting to this post.

Pelosi's exuberant mood on show as Democrats vote on Build Back Better bill

As members of the House voted on the Build Back Better bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to bop around and exchange pleasantries with her caucus.

She huddled with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in the front of the chamber for several minutes

Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Nakima Williams of Georgia were all huddled and talking and seemed in high spirits.

Later, Jayapal, Ocasio-Cortez and fellow New Yorker Nydia Velazquez and Rhode Island’s David Cicilline all took a selfie at one point.

Many of the members were not there as many proxy votes were read out and recorded. 

So far, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is still the only Democrat who voted against the bill. On the other side, no Republicans have crossed over to support the measure. 

This is the one Democrat who voted no on the spending bill so far

Rep. Jared Golden walks through the Capitol on November 5.

As expected, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voted no on the spending bill. 

As CNN’s Melanie Zanona reported last night, Golden told the Bangor Daily News: 

“Many of my colleagues argue this major line item is worth accepting to pass the rest of the bill,” Golden said in a statement, according to the paper. “I disagree: the SALT giveaway in the Build Back Better Act is larger than the child care, pre-K, healthcare or senior care provisions of the bill.” 

He also told the paper that he “will continue to stay at the table and negotiate for the best deal possible until the very last opportunity.”

Democrats can afford to lose a total of three votes.  

NOW: House votes on Biden's spending bill following overnight delay

The House floor at the Capitol on November 19.

The House is voting now on President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion spending bill after House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy stalled an effort to vote Thursday evening by delivering a record-breaking, marathon floor speech overnight.

What the bill does: The sweeping economic legislation stands as a key pillar of Biden’s domestic agenda. It would deliver on long-standing Democratic priorities by dramatically expanding social services for Americans, working to mitigate the climate crisis, increasing access to health care and delivering aid to families and children.

Read more about the legislation here.

Here's what Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said about McCarthy's 8-hour speech

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped into Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s eight and a half hour speech on the House floor overnight, saying, “He couldn’t stop talking but didn’t have much to say.”

She added, “I think that really what he wanted to do was speak on end and hear his own voice and say that he spoke longer than the Speaker of the House,” referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s eight-hour long speech a few years ago.

House Democrats had to push back Thursday’s vote on President Biden’s plan to dramatically expand the social safety net after McCarthy stalled floor action with a record-breaking marathon speech that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning. 

McCarthy, a Republican from California, started his speech at 8:38 p.m. ET, and stopped speaking early Friday morning after eight hours and 32 minutes, making his remarks the longest House floor speech in history.

What the scene is like on the House floor this morning as Democrats prepare to vote

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Capitol on November 19.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was making the rounds on the floor of the House this morning, appearing to be in a good mood as she talks with various members of her caucus and embraces others. 

At one point she huddled with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California, motioning up at one point to the front of the chamber.

Earlier she spoke to House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal. House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, also came over to the speaker and she and Pelosi embraced. DeLauro then went over to progressives Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state and Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado. 

Other members can be seen exchanging positive hellos and thumbs up with each other as people chat amiably. 

Over on the GOP side of the House chamber, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is holding court as members of his caucus come over to talk and others give him a thumbs up or handshake — likely in congratulations for his floor speech last night.

He appears in a good mood after his marathon speech last night that lasted into the wee hours of Friday morning.

Pelosi touts benefits of Build Back Better Act before vote

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke to members of Congress ahead of the vote on the Build Back Better Act, saying the legislation will be beneficial for all Americans.

“The facts are these: Following the vision of President Biden, guided by the expertise and energy of our chair’s members and staff, we have the [Build Back Better] bill that is historic, transformative, and larger than anything we have ever done before. We are building back better — if you are a parent, a senior, a child, a worker, if you are an American, this bill, this bill is for you,” Pelosi said.

She said that the act will reduce prescription costs for seniors, assist with child care costs, create jobs and address the climate crisis.

Pelosi also opened by making a not-so-veiled remark aimed at House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s record-breaking speech, that lasted from Thursday night into the early hours of Friday morning, saying, “With respect for those who work in this Capitol, and as a courtesy to my colleagues, I will be brief.” She received laughs and applause from fellow members.

Pelosi on spending bill vote today: "We’re going to have a great victory for the American people"

When asked about the spending bill vote today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “We’re going to have a great victory for the American people as we build back better, and I’m so proud of President Biden and his vision and his leadership and our members’ hard work to make this process.”

Pelosi said, “I don’t think anything of it,” when asked by CNN about Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy beating her record of the longest floor speech in House history and what he said about Democrats during his remarks. Pelosi laughed a bit as she finished answering. 

Kevin McCarthy gave the longest House floor speech in history

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy speaks on the House floor at the Capitol on November 18.

House Democrats pushed back a vote on President Biden’s plan to dramatically expand the social safety net after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stalled floor action with a record-breaking marathon speech that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning. 

McCarthy, a Republican from California, started his speech at 8:38 p.m. ET, and stopped speaking early Friday morning after eight hours and 32 minutes, making his remarks the longest House floor speech in history.

The overnight, often rambling and repetitive comments, ranged from border security and the Israeli Iron Dome Defense system to Abraham Lincoln, World War Two, and how baby carrots are just regular carrots cut down to a small size. 

The House has gaveled out but will reconvene at 8 a.m. ET to bring the Build Back Better bill to the floor for final passage. 

Pelosi was expected to close out the debate. 

Democrats to vote on spending bill but are "a little worried" after McCarthy's 8-hour speech, Rep. says

Democrats “may be a little perplexed, a little worried” about Kevin McCarthy after he delivered an eight-hour speech Thursday night, but they appear poised to vote on the spending bill this morning, Democratic Rep. Katherine Clark told CNN.

“Kevin McCarthy delivered an unhinged rant that really ranged in topics from baby carrots to Jimmy Carter’s sweater,” she said ahead of the vote. “But however deranged and kind of rambling it was, the message was clear. They are disconnected from helping the American family, and that was for an audience of one — Donald Trump.” 

She added:

Clark said Democrats plan to bring the vote in the 8 a.m. ET hour on Friday.

“I think the Speaker [Nancy Pelosi] will address the House, and we will move promptly to the vote, barring any shenanigans by the Republicans.”

Watch:

The House is expected to reconvene this morning after McCarthy's marathon speech stalled floor action

House Democrats are planning to pass President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion spending bill on Friday morning after House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy stalled an effort to vote Thursday evening by delivering a record-breaking marathon floor speech overnight.

His delay was not expected to affect the eventual outcome of the vote, as Democrats projected confidence that they had enough support to send the measure to the Senate, where significant hurdles remain. Moderate Senate Democrats are expected to demand changes to the bill, meaning the House will likely have to vote on it again in the coming weeks before it goes to Biden’s desk.

McCarthy took to the House floor at 8:38 p.m. ET on Thursday to begin his speech railing against Democrats, and did not finish speaking until eight hours and 32 minutes later, the longest House floor speech in the chamber’s history. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced shortly after midnight that the vote, which had been expected as soon as Thursday evening, would be postponed until later Friday.

The House is scheduled to return at 8 a.m. ET and vote soon after.

“He wants to do it in the dead of night,” Hoyer said, referring to McCarthy. “We are going to do it in the day.”

The sweeping economic legislation stands as a key pillar of Biden’s domestic agenda. It would deliver on long-standing Democratic priorities by dramatically expanding social services for Americans, working to mitigate the climate crisis, increasing access to health care and delivering aid to families and children.

Some more background: McCarthy was able to hold the floor indefinitely under the procedures of the House, which say the majority leader and the minority leader get what’s called a “magic minute” at the end of floor debate, meaning they can speak for as long as they want. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used a similar tactic as minority leader in 2018, speaking for more than eight hours on the House floor in a speech about young undocumented immigrants, which then became the longest in House history.

Once the legislation passes the House, it will face key hurdles in the Senate, with a fight looming over a controversial tax provision and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia still not on board.

As a result, Democrats are working hard to keep their fragile coalition of moderates and progressives united behind the package. The legislation has already been the subject of intense disputes between warring party factions in the House, and Democrats have no margin for error in the Senate.

The legislation will likely have to be altered, potentially significantly, to get every member of the Senate Democratic caucus to vote for it as key members raise major concerns with the contents of the bill.

READ MORE

House Democrats pass Biden’s social safety net expansion but major obstacles await in the Senate
What the Democrats’ sweeping social spending plan might include
House Democrats delay Build Back Better vote after McCarthy stalls floor action
Too soon for Democrats to declare victory as Build Back Better bill moves forward
Biden’s economic policy moves away from the strategy of his party’s past two presidents

READ MORE

House Democrats pass Biden’s social safety net expansion but major obstacles await in the Senate
What the Democrats’ sweeping social spending plan might include
House Democrats delay Build Back Better vote after McCarthy stalls floor action
Too soon for Democrats to declare victory as Build Back Better bill moves forward
Biden’s economic policy moves away from the strategy of his party’s past two presidents