In Case You Missed It: House Passes $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution

Last Tuesday in a 220-212 vote, the House passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution backed by the Biden administration. President Biden applauded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for uniting a fractured Democratic party behind the budget plan. Speaker Pelosi was able to avoid putting the resolution up for a direct vote by instead using a legislative maneuver that allowed Members of Congress to vote on a rule governing floor debate for the infrastructure bill and voting rights act that, if passed, would automatically pass the budget resolution.

The fate of the budget resolution was unknown heading into the week, as the Democratic Party that controls the House has seen a fracturing among moderates and progressives. Earlier this month, the Senate passed the resolution with a 50-49 vote on party lines.

Meanwhile, the House is under pressure to address the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate earlier this month. Speaker Pelosi has commented that the House will take up the infrastructure package by September 27.

President Biden expressed satisfaction in seeing Congress move the budget resolution forward. “The House of Representatives is taking a significant step toward making a historic investment that is going to transform America -- cut taxes for working families, and position the American economy for long term growth,” commented President Biden. The passage of the resolution will pave the way for the Democratic-led Congress to pursue priorities outlined in the Administration’s agenda as Congressional Committees work to allocate programmatic funds for the next fiscal year.