House members will return to Washington Friday to vote on the $739 billion tax, climate and health care bill — a top priority for President Biden's domestic agenda — but all eyes are on the Democratic Party's most far-left lawmakers.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is expected to push the legislation through despite widespread GOP opposition. Given a narrow Democratic majority, Pelosi can only afford four defections from her caucus on any vote before having to rely on GOP support.
At the moment, it is uncertain if the legislation will clear that threshold given the silence of several high-profile progressive Democrats.
While most far-left lawmakers are expected to back the legislation, some have criticized it for being too friendly to the fossil fuel industry. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., lambasted the bill last week during a marathon voting session as not going far enough to combat climate change.
"This bill, as currently written, includes a huge giveaway to the fossil fuel industry," said Sanders. "It's a slap in the face to the communities fighting to protect themselves from filthy fossil fuels."
Sanders eventually wound up voting for the bill after his attempts to have it amended to prevent subsidies from going to energy companies were defeated. Support from his top allies in the House, a cadre of six far-left lawmakers known as the "Squad," is less certain.
So far, only three members of the "Squad" — representatives Jamaal Bowman of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnestoa and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — have endorsed the legislation. The others have remained mum on the bill.
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Last year, the Squad nearly tanked Biden's bipartisan infrastructure bill over climate concerns. The bill would have failed in the House if not for the support of 13 moderate Republicans.
Many Democrats worry that if members of the Squad join with at least one or two moderate Democrats they will sink the bill.
Such fears hang over Friday's vote. Failure is not assured by any means, especially after a leading moderate Democrat threw his weight behind the bill Thursday.
"No bill is perfect," said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. "However, compromise, commonsense and rising above partisan politics to make meaningful and balanced change is our duty as legislators."