Vice President Harris to visit NYC this week to plug Biden’s infrastructure bills

Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to the Bronx this Friday to highlight how the Biden administration’s infrastructure agenda would “benefit working families” if approved by Congress, a White House official told the Daily News.

Harris, who has taken a lead role in plugging President Biden’s two-tiered infrastructure plan in recent weeks, will be joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra for the Bronx trip, the official said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck (D-N.Y.), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) are expected to join the vice president, as well.

Harris’ Bronx trip comes amid continued gridlock in Congress over Biden’s push for multi-trillion dollar infrastructure investments.

Vice President Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris (RONDA CHURCHILL/AFP via Getty Images)

The first portion of Biden’s infrastructure plan — a $1.2 trillion package focused on fixing the nation’s dilapidated roads, bridges and transit systems — passed the Senate in August with bipartisan support.

But progressive Democrats in the House are refusing to pass the bipartisan deal until the Senate also approves a sprawling $3.5 trillion reconciliation package focused on improving the country’s social safety net, fighting climate change and other infrastructure issues.

Republicans unanimously oppose the reconciliation bill, meaning Senate Democratic leaders cannot afford any defections among their 50 members to succeed.

But that’s proving easier said than done, as moderate Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia continue to balk at the price tag of the reconciliation component.

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