Pelosi Says House Will Tweak Senate’s $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan

(Bloomberg) -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said the House will “realign” some of the priorities in a $3.5 trillion Senate Democrat budget blueprint to expand the proposal’s social and environmental programs.

“Many of the priorities of the House are already in the bill. The question is the top line -- how we stay under the top line, as we perhaps realign some of those priorities,” Pelosi said at an event Thursday in Los Angeles.

Progressives in the House, whose votes Pelosi needs to pass the budget measure that carries the bulk of President Joe Biden’s agenda, are pressing to add more climate and social spending provisions to the outline developed by Senate Budget Committee Democrats. But that risks the support from moderate Democrats in both chambers. The party will have to be united to overcome solid Republican opposition.

“What is in there is something we agree with. But it is imperative that we take the next step in reconciliation to make it all greener and more family, family friendly,” Pelosi said, adding that House Democrats would “go over it with a fine-tooth comb” once they see the text.

Pelosi said that a separate bipartisan infrastructure deal being worked out in the Senate “isn’t as green as I would like,” or as “people-oriented.” Pelosi has said she won’t bring the infrastructure plan to the floor until the broader tax and spending package is ready for a vote.

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