Top Senate Dem sets infrastructure vote, pressures lawmakers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement by next week on a pair of massive domestic spending measures, signaling Democrats’ desire to push ahead aggressively on President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar agenda.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday he was scheduling a procedural vote for next Wednesday to begin debate on a still-evolving bipartisan infrastructure bill. Senators from both parties, bargaining for weeks, have struggled to reach final agreement on a $1 trillion package of highway, water systems and other public works projects.

Schumer said he also wanted Democratic senators to reach agreement among themselves by then on specific details of a separate 10-year budget blueprint that envisions $3.5 trillion in spending for climate change, education, an expansion of Medicare and more.

“The time has come to make progress. And we will. We must,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.

The majority leader's plans were an attempt to push lawmakers to work out differences so Democrats can advance their plans to fortify the economy for the long term and help lower-earning and middle-class families while imposing higher taxes on wealthy people and large corporations.

“There may be some last-minute discussion as to who, what mechanism is used to pay for each of these items,” Biden said of the two measures during a White House press conference Thursday. “But I believe we will get it done.”

Lawmakers working on the smaller infrastructure package met Thursday to discuss the details, but chafed at Schumer's deadline. They indicated that substantial hurdles remain, including how to pay for the nearly $579 billion in new spending over five years that they agreed to with the White House. The rest of the money in the...