Pelosi sets Thursday vote on infrastructure, eyes smaller social spending bill

By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday set a vote on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill for Thursday and voiced confidence it would pass.

Debate on the legislation, which passed the Senate with Democratic and Republican support on Aug. 10 and would help fund road, bridge, airport, school and other construction projects, will begin on Monday, she added.

Pelosi has not yet set a date to bring to the floor a larger, $3.5 trillion social welfare and climate bill - whose cost has divided her fellow Democrats - and said it is still under negotiation.

She added it was "self-evident" that the larger spending bill might shrink in size.

"We are now working together with the Senate and the White House on changes to this historic legislation," she added.

Both measures are key to Democratic President Joe Biden's economic agenda.

"Tomorrow, September 27, we will begin debate on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework on the Floor of the House and vote on it on Thursday, September 30, the day on which the surface transportation authorization expires," Pelosi said in a letter to Democrats that was released by her office.

Earlier on Sunday, Pelosi said she would not bring the infrastructure bill to a vote until she was sure it would pass, but expressed confidence about its prospects.

"Let me just say that we're going to pass the bill this week," she told ABC News' "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Asked at the White House on Sunday whether Pelosi had the votes she needed, Biden said: "I'm optimistic about this week. It's going to take the better part of the week, I think," he told reporters.

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