Thread by @JakeSherman

It’s Wednesday. There’s a Nats double header today. Great weather.

In @PunchbowlNews this AM, we ran down our first list of people to watch in the infrastructure process.

Remember: Biden is trying to spend $2.5T more on a massive public works program. This is gigantic.

@PunchbowlNews → @SpeakerPelosi will be driving this train, but she faces a very delicate task here. Pelosi will have a three or four-seat majority, depending on when the American Jobs Plan gets to the floor.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi She has a ton of decisions to make. How will package be structured? Is there more than one reconciliation bill? If so, how does she divvy them up? What order is the leg voted on? All of these tactical decisions will help guide Pelosi as she tries to steer this through the House.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi → Who you can mostly ignore: Republicans. At least for the moment. We included in the PM edition the other day a fundraising invitation that urged people to donate to hear Rs talk ab infrastructure.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi Here’s a piece of advice: Don’t spend money to hear them talk about it at the moment. They aren’t going to vote for it, and won’t have much insight into what’s going on.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi The Democrats you should watch: This much is obvious, but committee chairs are key. @RepRichardNeal, @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio. They’re going to take Pelosi’s cues, but Pelosi will take their advice too. In many ways, they are Pelosi’s front-line leaders or sergeants.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio → Ways and Means Dems: @RepRonKind, @BillPascrell and @RepTomSuozzi all are worth keeping an eye on. Kind has long been a stalwart of the tax-writing panel, but can he vote for a tax increase when he’s under increasing pressure in his LaCrosse-Eau Claire area district?

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi Pascrell and Suozzi are both loyal foot soldiers in the Pelosi army who want something this time -- the SALT tax caps lifted.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi → @RepJoshG often finds himself -- or puts himself -- in the middle of whatever is happening. He's always looking for a problem to solve -- get it? It’s up to Gottheimer to get some headlines now that Tom Reed has been sidelined

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG → @AOC and @PramilaJayapal: AOC is a political star, so of course we’d watch what she does on any vote. AOC has already criticized the American Jobs Plan as “not nearly enough.”

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called it a “welcome first step,” but added “ more must be done to improve on this initial framework to meet the challenges we face.”

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal → The New “Oil Patch”: @RepFletcher Fletcher and @ColinAllredTX are “majority makers.” They represent the new look of Texas Ds -- Fletcher from the well-heeled River Oaks area in Houston, & Allred, who represents many of the upscale neighborhoods in Dallas.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX Fletcher opposed Biden’s call for a moratorium on new oil and gas drilling on federal lands, so ending tax subsidies to the industry could be a challenging vote.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) also could be part of this clique. Look for these Democrats to try to balance the traditional leanings of Texas with the newfound political leanings of their districts.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX → Jared Golden, Ed Case and Kurt Schroeder: These three are often the toughest votes for Pelosi. @RepGolden (Maine) and @RepSchrader (Ore.) voted against the American Rescue Plan when the House initially considered it, although Schrader voted for the package after it was amended

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX @RepGolden @RepSchrader Golden and @RepEdCase voted against the budget resolution that allowed Democrats to consider the American Rescue Plan under reconciliation. Democrats don’t believe Golden will vote for this new Biden proposal either, so that costs Pelosi a vote.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX @RepGolden @RepSchrader @RepEdCase → @RepStephMurphy and Blue Dogs: Murphy, a Florida Democrat, is “seriously considering” challenging incumbent @marcorubio in 2022. Rubio will vote against this Biden proposal, that much is clear.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX @RepGolden @RepSchrader @RepEdCase @RepStephMurphy @marcorubio Murphy hasn’t taken a position on it yet, per her office. Case and Murphy are two of the three co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition, while Golden, Schrader and Gottheimer are all members.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX @RepGolden @RepSchrader @RepEdCase @RepStephMurphy @marcorubio → The Biden administration: We’re most fascinated here by @SecretaryPete He’s moving into a big-time role here of working a caucus he hardly knows and an institution he’s only vaguely familiar with.

@PunchbowlNews @SpeakerPelosi @RepRichardNeal @FrankPallone @RepPeterDeFazio @RepRonKind @BillPascrell @RepTomSuozzi @RepJoshG @AOC @PramilaJayapal @RepFletcher @ColinAllredTX @RepGolden @RepSchrader @RepEdCase @RepStephMurphy @marcorubio @SecretaryPete Buttigieg also has a lot at stake here. Public office is clearly in his future, so we will be watching him closely