Despite opposition from progressive House Democrats, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has again pushed back the deadline for a vote on a USD 1 trillion infrastructure bill.

"As you are aware, the House will postpone the vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF)," Pelosi wrote to House Democrats on Thursday night. "The good news is that the majority of Members who were not expecting a yes vote today have pledged to support the BIF," she said.

"As you may recall, we are prepared for the BIF Floor vote because the rule and bill have already been debated." According to reports, the decision to postpone the vote came hours after Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that President Joe Biden's earlier-in-the-day announcement of the "Build Back Better Framework" was insufficient to sway progressives.

"Our Caucus Members will not vote for the infrastructure bill unless the Build Back Better Act is included. We will work to finalise and pass both pieces of legislation through the House as soon as possible "In a statement, Jayapal said. Biden unveiled the Build Back Better Framework, a USD1.75 trillion social spending package, on Thursday morning in an attempt to help House Democrats pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was approved by the Senate earlier this year. Progressive House Democrats have held up the Senate-passed bill for months, demanding a vote on the larger social spending plan.

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