As RedState reported earlier today, Democrats are claiming to have agreed on a “framework” for Joe Biden’s “build back better” agenda. Whether that’s actually true or not is still an open question, given we haven’t heard from Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema. Reality dictates that they are the only two people who truly matter in this situation.

Regardless, Nancy Pelosi is using the news to take a baseball bat to the progressive wing, even as the far-left group of lawmakers spent yesterday evening lodging threats. According to Pramila Jayapal, there are dozens of Democrats ready to kill the infrastructure bill unless there’s something more than a framework on reconciliation. Yet, Pelosi is casting them aside and moving forward anyway, saying she wants the former bill passed today.

As I noted months ago, the Speaker screwed up by ever tying the two bills together, and that’s led to this total about-face.

PELOSI specifically told House Democrats that she wants the infrastructure bill passed by the time BIDEN lands in rome tonight.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 28, 2021

Pelosi also said she would put the infrastructure bill on the floor today and hold the vote open to get the bill through. When Rep. Schakowsky asked about Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, she said take the president at his word he will get the larger bill through

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 28, 2021

I don’t know about you, but that last sentence sounds a lot like Manchin and Sinema haven’t actually agreed to anything. That means Pelosi is playing a high-stakes game here, daring the progressives to defy her and the president while having no evidence that she’s secured the agreement she claims to have secured (at least with the number of senators required for final passage). Perhaps Pelosi thinks if she can move fast enough on this, that the progressives don’t have time to organize a true opposition? Or perhaps she thinks Republicans will cross the aisle to push them over the finish line, pushing the progressives completely out of the process?

I’m not sure what the strategy is, but I do know that Democrat leadership is facing some strong headwinds from the far-left members they’ve enabled for so long. Consider this a “chickens coming home to roost” moment.

New – In a key sign of the challenges facing Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders told House progressives he backs their position against moving ahead with the infrastructure bill until the larger economic package moves through the House at the same time, per two sources

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 28, 2021

Jayapal added this: “I don’t think the Speaker has ever brought a bill to the floor that doesn’t have the votes, and right now there are over 3 dozen members, and that number is only increasing, who feel very strongly that these two bills need to move together.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 27, 2021

In the end, this feels a heck of a lot like the last time Pelosi attempted to get a vote on the infrastructure bill done. That was back in early October, and the vote collapsed in the eleventh hour after the progressives nuked the entire ploy. Pelosi has fed the alligator for years, and now she can’t control it anymore.

We will have to see where this ends up. If I were betting on an outcome, I’d say there’s no vote today and Pelosi pulls it at the last minute due to lack of support. I suppose it’s possible that she can promise the progressives enough unicorn farts to get them on board, but I’ll have to see it to believe it.