Buttigieg Says Infrastructure, Reconciliation Bills Are ‘Linked in People’s Lives’

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the bipartisan infrastructure bill is “linked in people’s lives” with a Democratic reconciliation bill. During an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, Buttigieg said the…

Savannah RychcikJun 29, 20213 min read

Watch his comments below (starting at 3:00):

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Buttigieg then asked, “Is it going to be linked in terms of different members of Congress care about getting them both done?”

He said, “Of course.”

The transportation secretary continued, “Are they linked for us? I mean, they’re linked in people’s lives. But, look, they’re going to be different packages.”

President Joe Biden warned on Thursday he would not sign the bipartisan bill without a reconciliation bill.

“I expect that in the coming months this summer, before the fiscal year is over, that we will have voted on this bill, the Infrastructure bill, as well as voted on the budget resolution. But if only one comes to me, this is the only one that comes to me, I’m not signing it. It’s in tandem,” Biden said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also said the House will not take up the bipartisan Infrastructure bill until the Senate votes on a reconciliation bill.

Biden later clarified his remarks on the matter in a statement released on Saturday.

“At a press conference after announcing the bipartisan agreement, I indicated that I would refuse to sign the Infrastructure bill if it was sent to me without my Families Plan and other priorities, including clean energy,” Biden said.

He continued, “My comments also created the impression that I was issuing a veto threat on the very plan I had just agreed to, which was certainly not my intent.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to walk back their “threats” to link the passage of the Infrastructure package to a spending bill.

“Unless Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi walk-back their threats that they will refuse to send the president a bipartisan Infrastructure bill unless they also separately pass trillions of dollars for unrelated tax hikes, wasteful spending, and Green New Deal socialism, then President Biden’s walk-back of his veto threat would be a hollow gesture,” McConnell said.