Sunday shows – All eyes on spending votes

House votes on a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a larger $3.5 trillion spending plan dominated the political talk shows on Sunday morning.

Top Democrats acknowledged that the spending plan, which they hope to pass without support from Republicans, will likely be lower than the $3.5 trillion originally proposed. 

Questions were also raised about whether the House would vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday, as initially planned.  

Read The Hill’s complete coverage below.

Pelosi on $3.5T spending package: It ‘seems self-evident’ it will be less than proposed By MONIQUE BEALS   Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Sunday that it “seems self-evident” that the final price tag for the Democrats’ spending plan would be smaller than $3.5 trillion originally proposed.  “Yeah that seems self-evident. That seems self-evident” she said on ABC’s “This Week” when asked if she would acknowledge that there would be a lower total for the package. Read the full story here

Booker: ‘If we do a $3 trillion bill, a $2.5 trillion bill, I’m going to push for as big and bold as we can’ By JOSEPH CHOI   Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Sunday committed to passing “big and bold” measures in the multibillion dollar reconciliation bill as congressional Democratic leaders acknowledge the final price tag will likely be smaller than the proposed $3.5 trillion. Read the full story here

Pelosi on infrastructure bill: ‘I’m never bringing a bill to the floor that doesn’t have the votes’ By MONIQUE BEALS   “Let me just say we’re going to pass the bill this week,” Pelosi said. Read the full story here

Jayapal: ‘The votes aren’t there’ to pass infrastructure bill on Monday By MONIQUE BEALS   “I don’t believe there will be a vote,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said. “The Speaker is an incredibly good vote counter, and she knows exactly where her caucus stands, and we’ve been really clear on that.”  Read the full story here

‘No reason’ why Democrats shouldn’t pass infrastructure bill right away, Gottheimer says By RACHEL SCULLY   “These are two separate bills,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)  said. “You’ve got the infrastructure, a historic once-in-a-century [bill]… There’s no reason why we shouldn’t pass that right away and get those shovels in the ground.” Read the full story here

DHS secretary says Haitian migrant crisis is ‘nothing new’ By JOSEPH CHOI   Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday shot back at criticisms of the Biden administration’s handling of the Haitian migrant crisis, saying, “this is nothing new.” Read the full story here

We are working in a ‘completely broken’ immigration system, Mayorkas says By JOSEPH CHOI   Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday said that the U.S. is capable of addressing the immigration crisis at the southern border, but acknowledged that “we are working in a completely broken system.” Read the full story here

Abbott promises to hire Border Patrol agents punished by Biden administration By JOSEPH CHOI    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Sunday pledged his support for any Border Patrol agents who are punished by the Biden administration, saying he will hire any who are at risk of losing their jobs. Read the full story here

CDC director: Including people at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 for boosters was ‘close call’ By MONIQUE BEALS   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Sunday that determining eligibility for people at higher risk for COVID-19 because of their workplace environment was a “scientific close call.” Read the full story here

Pfizer CEO calls CDC’s booster shot decision ‘a very good one’ By MONIQUE BEALS    Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Sunday he believes the decision by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) to first move forward with booster shots for older, more at-risk Americans and frontline workers was “a very good one.” Read the full story here

Tim Scott says police reform talks collapsed with Dems over funding By CELINE CASTRONUOVO   GOP Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) said he believes months-long negotiations with Democratic lawmakers on a potential police reform bill collapsed because their proposals called for reducing funding to law enforcement. Read the full story here