After helping usher the president’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill through Congress last month, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer is facing a new challenge, likely tougher than the last: infrastructure.

The White House wants the infrastructure plan wrapped up this summer, and Schumer has little wiggle room for error in the evenly divided U.S. Senate. A “no” vote from a single Democrat could put the bill’s fate in peril.

What You Need To Know

  • President Biden praised Sen. Schumer for "skillfully" ushering the COVID-19 relief bill through the evenly divided Senate

  • Passing Biden's infrastructure plan is likely to be more complicated than pandemic relief

  • Already, lawmakers are at odds over the definition of infrastructure and how to alter taxes to pay for the projects

“He faces a lot of challenges,” said Casey Burgat, who leads the legislative affairs program at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. “Uneasy is the head that wears the crown.”

On pandemic aid, there was a general agreement among Democrats to go big and quick. A deal eventually came together, with Schumer leading Senate Democrats as a unified front to pass it.

But, Burgat notes, infrastructure is likely to be more complicated. Already, lawmakers are at odds over the definition of infrastructure and how to alter taxes to pay for it.

Further complicating matters, if Democrats rely on reconciliation to bypass the filibuster and pass the bill without Republican votes, the Senate parliamentarian will get a say as to what is included in the legislation and what is not, opening the door to further Democratic quarrels.

“Whatever makes some person happy, you're likely to make someone else unhappy. And that's even within his Democratic Caucus,” Burgat said.

 

Keeping The Caucus In Line

 

The Senate passed the COVID relief measure in early March without any Republican buy-in. To do so, Schumer had to keep his caucus in line: one Democratic defection in the 50-50 Senate could have sunk the bill.

President Joe Biden offered Schumer praise after it passed the upper chamber, saying he had never seen anyone work as “skillfully” or “patiently” to deliver “such a consequential piece of legislation.”

“When the country needed you most, you led Chuck. And you delivered,” Biden said.

On infrastructure, Republicans have so far expressed little interest in Biden’s overall plan, meaning Democrats may end up having to go it alone again.

Asked how he will keep the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic party together to get the bill passed, Schumer pointed to his weekly check-ins with his leadership team. That team is composed of lawmakers across the political spectrum, from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

“We all discuss things and come together. And on every issue so far, we’ve had unity,” Schumer said at a press event last week.