Pelosi calls off vote — bipartisan framework lacks the votes to pass without reconciliation bill

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had vowed to hold a vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework on Thursday, but had also vowed she would not bring a bill to the floor that lacked the votes to pass. Late Thursday evening, Pelosi called off the vote, CNN and The Wall Street report.

The lack of a vote was a victory for Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Progressive Caucus who had argued the bipartisan bill should advance in tandem with the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, which is the far larger component of President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda.

Meanwhile, the lack of a vote was an embarrassment for Rep. Josh Gotthimer (D-NJ), who had guaranteed there would be a successful vote during an appearance on CNN.

Punchbowl DC's Jake Sherman reported on a Progressive Caucus virtual meeting instructed her members not to celebrate when the bill was defeated.

After it was announced there would not be a vote, Jayapal addressed the situation on Twitter.

"By allowing one bill to advance without the Build Back Better Act alongside it, we leave behind childcare, paid leave, health care, climate action, education, and a roadmap to citizenship," she wrote. "We're not going to leave working people, families, and our communities behind."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki released a statement on the situation.

"The President is grateful to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer for their extraordinary leadership, and to Members from across the Democratic Caucus who have worked so hard the past few days to try to reach an agreement on how to proceed on the Infrastructure Bill and the Build Back Better plan," Psaki wrote.

"A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever. But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing," she added.