Sunday shows preview: Pelosi announces date for infrastructure vote; administration defends immigration policies

The upcoming House vote on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, as well as the Biden administration’s handling of thousands of Haitian migrants gathered at the Southern border, are expected to be the focus of this weekend’s Sunday talk shows. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday set a firm date early next week for the House to vote on a bipartisan infrastructure package, which is considered by many Democrats to be an essential move to advance President Biden’s domestic agenda. 

“It will come up on Monday,” Pelosi said of the House vote. 

The House speaker is scheduled to appear on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. 

However, the bill’s future is uncertain, with progressive Democrats vowing to oppose the legislation unless the House first votes on a $3.5 trillion social spending package that serves as a second component of Biden’s Build Back Better plan. 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Friday that as of now, the infrastructure bill “cannot pass.” 

Jayapal, who is scheduled to appear on both CBS’s “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union” this week, is leading a group of progressive lawmakers demanding movement on the larger “family” package, which Democratic leaders are hoping to pass through reconciliation, thus bypassing a GOP filibuster in the Senate. 

While Pelosi said Friday that House Democrats are looking to finalize the reconciliation bill for a floor vote next week, it is unclear if it will be ready in time to satisfy the demands of her progressive colleagues. 

The White House, which has been in the midst of negotiations with House and Senate leaders on the $3.5 trillion spending package, is also being tasked with responding to bipartisan pressure over its immigration policies. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday that it had processed an estimated 15,000 Haitian migrants who recently gathered under a bridge connecting Mexico with Del Rio, Texas. 

Concerns on the administration’s treatment of the migrants escalated after photos and video circulated showing agents on horseback chasing down asylum seekers, with some appearing to swing their reins while trying to detain them. 

The Biden administration has also responded to the surge in migrants by ramping up repatriation flights, prompting further criticism from Democrats who argued that it would be unethical to return migrants to Haiti.

The country is still recovering from last month’s massive earthquake and political turmoil is at an all-time high after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse earlier this year. 

However, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has continued to defend administration’s policies.

The administration has continued use of the Title 42, which allows migrants to be removed from the country amid the pandemic without the opportunity to claim asylum. Title 42 was also used during the Trump era. 

Mayorkas, who is scheduled to appear on three of this week’s Sunday talk shows, on Friday denied claims that the administration was acting in an “immoral” or “unethical way.” 

“In fact, we are restoring people by reason of the immorality of the past administration,” he told reporters. “We are reuniting families that were separated.” 

Below are the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows.

ABC’s “This Week” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). 

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.); Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.); Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Mayorkas; Booker; Jayapal; Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.); Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)

“Fox News Sunday” — Mayorkas; Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas.). 

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), ranking member, House Intelligence Committee; Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), ranking member, House Ways & Means Committee; Peter Schweizer, author, “Secret Empires”; Gen. Jack Keane, Fox News Sr. Strategic Analyst, Former Vice Chief of Staff for U.S. Army.