On Saturday, President Joe Biden walked back his threat to veto a bipartisan infrastructure bill that costs $1.2 trillion.
Biden had previously announced on Thursday he will veto the bill unless Congress passes a larger bill that includes separate Democratic priorities via budget reconciliation.
“My comments also created the impression that I was issuing a veto threat on the very plan I had just agreed to, which was certainly not my intent,” Biden said in a statement Saturday.
The comment refers to his Thursday remarks following the announcement of the bipartisan infrastructure deal.
“If this is the only thing that comes to me, I’m not signing it,” Biden said Thursday. “I’m not just signing the bipartisan bill and forgetting about the rest.”
His comment left Republicans bewildered after they just agreed to the bipartisan bill to rebuild roads and other key infrastructure across the country. Several senators threatened to pull out of the deal unless Biden clarified his intentions.
The new comments are also likely to create tension between Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).
The speaker had previously said that Democrats in the House wouldn’t consider the bipartisan infrastructure deal until the more sweeping American Families Plan had been passed – which focuses on climate issues, daycare and other social issues.
