The Senate on Thursday afternoon voted to pass a continuing resolution to keep government funded past an expiring midnight deadline – moving on trouble spot down the road as Congress confronts a series of obstacles.
The Senate voted 65-35 to pass the measure, which now goes to the House, where is expected to pass and ultimately reach President Joe Biden's desk.
The bill keeps the government open under prior-year spending levels until December 3.
But it does nothing to raise the statutory debt ceiling, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warning the government will run out of 'extraordinary measures' on October 18, risking a potential default.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted House Democrats would vote and win on an infrastructure bill Thursday ever as her top deputy expressed doubt liberal members of the party would give it the support it needs.
'This is the fun part,' the speaker said. 'We're on a path to win the vote. I don't want to consider any options other than that. That's just the way it is.'
But Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the number two in party leadership, said the votes weren't there.
Asked by reporters on Capitol Hill if the bipartisan infrastructure measure - known as BIF - would pass, he replied: 'Nope.'
Pelosi, however, was in a jovial mood as Joe Biden's agenda hangs on by a thread due to an intra-party war. The fighting continues as the president was unable to cut a deal with moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to prevent all out chaos.
The two want him to trim back his ambitious $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package that would provide free pre-K, expanded paid family and medical leave and a series of programs to fight climate change.
Manchin on Thursday announced his topline number is $1.5 trillion - far below the president's.
He confirmed he told President Biden his number and conceded that a deal 'is going to take some time.'
Sinema released a statement on Thursday that did not give her topline number but said she gave that figure to Biden and Democratic leaders in August.
The statements from the two senators come as they have been under fire from the left wing of the party for holding up Biden's agenda. Many liberal lawmakers berated them for not naming their price tag.
The defense from moderates comes as progressive lawmakers in the House said they won't support the $1.1 trillion infrasture deal without a guarantee from Manchin and Sinema of their support for reconciliation.
House Progressive Caucus Chair, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, confirmed that half of their 96-member caucus will not vote for infrastructure without a guarantee on the $3.5 trillion bill.
'We will not be able to vote for the infrastructure bill until the reconcilation bill has passed,' she announced Thursday morning after a long meeting with Pelosi.
Pelosi, however, said a deal would come together even as both wings of her party held firm.
'Let me tell you about negotiating. At the end is when you really have to weigh in. You cannot tire. You cannot concede,' she said.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted House Democrats would vote and win on an infrastructure bill Thursday ever as her top deputy expressed doubt
But Pelosi's top deputy, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, says Democrats don't have the votes to pass Biden's infrastructure plan
Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed confidence the House will pass President Biden's infrastructure bill even as liberal Democrats threaten to with hold their support
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer arrives at the Capitol on Thursday as lawmakers face a midnight deadline to fund the government
With a margin of four seats, Pelosi can't afford to lose the liberal
