The Senate will return to session on Saturday afternoon to try to pass a 30-day extension of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act after it was snarled amid the Democrats wrangling over their infrastructure and social spending bills, and the head of the Senate finance committee blamed Republicans, TheHill.com reported.
”It is my understanding that the House is going to send the Senate a 30-day extension of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act. Republicans cannot clear it tonight. Therefore, we will come back tomorrow and try to pass it then,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said.
With the Senate having largely left town on Thursday, Wyden indicated the bill did not have the unanimous consent needed to send it to President Joe Biden’s desk.
TheHill reported Senate aides did not respond to questions about the holdup.
Spending bills have largely been stalled with liberal and moderate Democrats feuding among themselves over their two packages. A $1.5 trillion bipartisan package of ”infrastructure” spending already passed by the Senate has been held up in the House because far-left Democrats want agreement and passage of a $3.5 trillion package of social spending before they’ll commit to voting for the smaller package.
Moderates are opposed to the bigger bill and the Democrats hold the advantage with only a few votes in the House. With Republicans overwhelmingly opposed, the Democrats need virtual unanimity to pass anything. Additionally, Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona also have said no to the social spending bill.
