I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Monday, September 27.

Listeners, keep your eyes on Washington this week. We'll help you do it. I know who wants to look at a dysfunctional institution

like the Congress of the United States for too long when it's easier to look away.

More pleasant to look at the leaves, turn in colors in New England, or watch the baseball

playoff chases in their final week of the season. But let's keep our eye on the National

Politics Ball this week, too.

Here's why.

By Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to know if she's got the votes for both the bipartisan physical infrastructure bill

that addresses roads and bridges and broadband and things like that,

and the Democrats-only human infrastructure bill that addresses child care, elder care,

and climate protection, and things like that.

Some center-left Democrats, like New York's Tom Swazi and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey,

are threatening not to vote for the human bill unless it cuts certain taxes or

become smaller than President Biden's proposal.

Some more progressive Democrats, like New York's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, don't want to vote

for the physical infrastructure bill unless it's tied to the human one.

If not, in fact, she has said, quote, nothing would give me more pleasure than to tank.

A billionaire, dark money, fossil fuel, Exxon lobbyist drafted energy infrastructure bill if they

come after our child care and climate priorities. So can the Democrats reconcile their

own differences this week? Here's Speaker Pelosi yesterday on ABC.

This isn't about moderates versus progressives.

Overwhelmingly, the entirety of our caucus, except for a few whose judgment, I respect,

...