Representative Kevin Brady, the Texas Republican who took a leading role in pushing former President Donald Trump’s blunt tax cut bill in 2017, said Thursday he believes Democrats will be able to force two massive spending bills to through Congress before October.
The prospects for a $ 1 trillion bipartisan physical infrastructure bill and a $ 3.5 trillion budget reconciliation offer darkened last week, when a group of centrist Democrats threatened to hold the your support.
The group of nine moderate Democrats demanded that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, promise them a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package before approving the $ 3.5 trillion package backed by Democrats. , aimed at climate change, poverty and so-called human infrastructure.
Pelosi and the nine moderates, led by New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, managed to reach an agreement this week and advanced a combined $ 4.5 trillion fiscal stimulus.
CNBC’s Joe Kernen asked Brady for his opinion on the odds that Democrats could pass both bills in the House before the end of September, given what is expected to be a lengthy marking process.
The odds “could be good,” Brady replied in the “Squawk Box” interview. “I think Democrats have a big boost after this week’s vote. I don’t think anyone dreamed that the speaker would be able, in fact, to harass all members of his conference to give the green light to these tax increases. But she did. “
Brady’s withdrawn tone, retiring from Congress, contrasts with challenging House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who on Wednesday vowed to do everything possible to stop the multimillion-dollar infrastructure and social spending plans backed by President Joe Biden. .
“It will be on my corpse, because I will do everything in our power to stop it,” McCarthy said when asked if he expected billions of new spending to pass through Congress in September.
Both McCarthy and Brady said they were opposed to the $ 1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill aimed at improving the country’s highways, bridges and high-speed broadband access. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Supports the move.
Still, Brady’s tone may reflect the thinking of other members of the Republican Party ruling group who have otherwise seen Democrats take advantage of the meager majorities in the House and Senate to deal with Biden’s economic agenda.
Democrats hope their broad focus will help them maintain control of both houses in the critical midterm elections of 2022, while Republicans attack Democrats for mismanagement of fiscal and inflation.
A United Democratic House on Tuesday passed a procedural motion, paving the way for party leaders to write and pass the $ 3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill without Republican support.