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| Wednesday was a dramatic day in Washington! |
| First: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy got into a tit-for-tat battle over the members of a House Panel investigation of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. |
| Then: Senate Republicans blocked President Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure bill as lawmakers haggled over details of the legislation. |
| It's Mabinty, let's dive right in. |
An Infrastructure vote failed, but talks aren't dead |
| Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the start of formal debate on bipartisan infrastructure legislation, a core part of President Joe Biden's economic plan, because the bill text and cost weren't available as negotiations continue. |
| The 51-49 vote against beginning debate, which needed to clear a 60-vote threshold to succeed, came after a series of late-night negotiations. |
| What now? Senators from both parties called the setback temporary, with another vote expected as soon as Monday. That would give negotiators time to draft the legislation and score how much it will cost. |
| The 22-member bipartisan negotiating group issued a statement after the vote saying a final agreement is close. |
| "We have made significant progress and are close to a final agreement," the statement said. "We will continue working hard to ensure we get this critical legislation right – and are optimistic that we will finalize, and be prepared to advance, this historic bipartisan proposal." |
ICYMI: You need to read these stories |
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Pelosi v. McCarthy |
| Here's what happened: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday rejected two Republican members for the select committee that will investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. |
| Republicans did not take it well. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded by threatening to pull House Republicans out of the process. McCarthy said Pelosi's action "represents an egregious abuse of power." |
| How did we get here? McCarthy on Monday selected five Republicans to join the committee: ranking member Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, North Dakota Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Texas Rep. Troy Nehls. |
| But, but, but: Pelosi was a no on Reps. Banks and Jordan due to their opposition to the certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election and criticizing the select committee's investigation. Pelosi cited both those factors in her rejection of the two. |
| Now what? At a press briefing, McCarthy reiterated that Republicans may launch another inquiry into the Capitol riot. The select committee will hold a hearing next week. |
| Don't forget to go on a walk this week! —Mabinty |
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