The vote was originally scheduled for Thursday evening local time after the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan arbiter, released a cost assessment of the bill, which several moderate Democrats said they needed before they would vote.

But the vote was delayed until 8am on Friday (midnight Friday AEDT) after McCarthy spoke for more than four hours, at times shouting over Democrats in the House who were openly dismissive of his obstruction.

Democrats were attempting to advance Biden's $US1.75 trillion domestic investment bill , despite the CBO finding it would add to the deficit.

"I've had enough. America has had enough," McCarthy said in his speech that catalogued a list of Republican grievances, some related to the bill and some not.

The House voted 220-211 to approve the rule for debating the measure, clearing the way for a vote on passage later in the night.

No Republicans supported the move.

Earlier, the CBO said the legislation would increase federal budget deficits by $US367 billion over 10 years, although it acknowledged additional revenues could be generated through improved tax collections.

If passed, the bill would be in addition to the more than $1 trillion of infrastructure investment legislation Biden signed into law this week.

The new bill provides free preschool for all three- and four-year-olds, boosts coverage of homecare costs for the elderly and disabled, significantly lowers the cost of some prescription drugs, expands affordable housing programs and increases grants for college students.

The two measures comprise the twin pillars of Biden's domestic agenda and would be on top of the $1.9 trillion in emergency coronavirus pandemic aid Biden and his fellow Democrats pushed through Congress in March over a wall of opposition from Republicans.

Democrat House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called the bill "transformational" adding that its success "will be measured in the deep sense of hope that Americans will have when they see their economy working for them instead of holding them back".

Republicans have vowed to withhold their support, leaving Democrats to employ a special "budget reconciliation" procedure that would allow them to ram the legislation through the Senate with a simple majority vote, instead of at least 60 votes in the 100-member chamber normally needed to advance measures.

Republican Representative Guy Reschenthaler said the bill will worsen inflation and hand tax breaks to the wealthy.

He labelled it "the Democrats' big government socialist spending spree".

In addition to funding expanded social programs, the bill provides $US550 billion to battle climate change.

If it passes the Democratic-controlled House, it would go to the Senate for consideration, where two centrist Democratic members have threatened to hold it up.

Senators are expected to amend the House bill. If so, it would have to be sent back to the House for final passage, possibly around the end of December.

Democrats have a 221-213 majority in the House and can only afford to lose three Democratic votes on the bill since no Republicans are expected to vote for it.

One Democrat said on Thursday evening he intended to vote against it, due to tax breaks that would favour rich Americans.

Australian Associated Press