Senate Republicans block effort to advance infrastructure bill

Republicans said they are willing to vote on the infrastructure deal, but only when it is finished.

Published: July 21, 2021 3:58pm

Updated: July 21, 2021 4:14pm

Senate Republicans on Wednesday voted to block the Senate from debating an infrastructure proposal, saying they needed more time to finalize and negotiate the details of the bill.

The procedural motion to debate failed in a 49-51 vote. Republicans say they will still vote on the bill, but not on Wednesday, according to NBC News.

"Around here, we typically write the bills before we vote on them. That's the custom," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "Of course, here in the Senate, a failed cloture vote does not mean no forever."

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he called the vote as part of an effort to get his colleagues to finish writing the bill before Congress goes on a month-long August recess.

The group of Republicans, including Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney, say that a vote on infrastructure could happen as early as Monday.

"We’re going to have to have a product. You can’t vote on a framework. There just isn’t the kind of trust around it right now that would allow that to happen," Senate Minority Whip John Thune said, according to Politico.