________
Source: Washington Post
Senate approves bipartisan, $1 trillion infrastructure bill, bringing major Biden goal one step closer
Democrats along with 19 Republicans approved the public-works package in a Tuesday morning vote, teeing it up soon for the House
The Senate on Tuesday approved a roughly $1 trillion proposal to improve the nation's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections, advancing a historic burst in federal spending after years of failed attempts on Capitol Hill to invest anew in the country's aging infrastructure.
The 69-to-30 vote follows weeks of turbulent private talks and fierce public debates that sometimes teetered on collapse, as the White House labored alongside Democrats and Republicans to achieve the sort of deal that had eluded them for years. Even though the proposal must still clear the House, where some Democrats recently have raised concerns the measure falls short of what they seek, the Senate outcome moves the bill one step closer to delivering President Biden his first major bipartisan win.
The package, nearly half of which constitutes new spending, would mark the most significant investment in the country's inner workings since Congress marshaled a massive yet smaller rescue bill in the shadow of the Great Recession. It would combine lawmakers' desire for immediate, urgently needed fixes to the country's crumbling infrastructure with longer-term goals to combat challenges including climate change.
The bill proposes more than $110 billion to replace and repair roads, bridges and highways, and $66 billion to boost passenger and freight rail. That transit investment marks the most significant infusion of cash in the country's railways since the creation of Amtrak about half a century ago, the White House said.
The infrastructure plan includes an additional $55 billion to address lingering issues in the U.S. water supply, such as an effort to replace every lead pipe in the nation. It allocates $65 billion to modernize the country’s power grid. And it devotes additional sums to rehabilitating waterways, improving airports and expanding broadband Internet service, particularly after a pandemic that forced Americans to conduct much of their lives online.
Lawmakers also agreed to authorize a significant tranche of funding to improve the environment and respond to the oft-deadly consequences of a fast-warming planet. The aid includes $7.5 billion to build out a national network of electric-vehicle charging stations, a major priority for Biden, who has worked to advance the next generation of emissions-friendly vehicles. And it apportions $47 billion to respond to wildfires, droughts, coastal erosion, heat waves and other climate crises that previously have wrought significant economic havoc nationwide.
"America's often had the greatest prosperity and made the most progress when we invest in America itself," Biden said Tuesday in a speech heralding its passage, stressing the investments ultimately would create jobs. "And that’s what this infrastructure bill does, with overwhelming support from the United States Senate."
The White House helped craft the proposal alongside its chief congressional sponsors, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). The two for weeks shepherded a group of 10 lawmakers from both parties toward a compromise that could thread a needle — proffering the massive investments Biden initially sought without raising alarm among spending-wary Republicans.
The result is a bill that is less than the roughly $2.2 trillion American Jobs Plan that Biden put forward this spring, but one that every chamber Democrat along with 19 Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could still support. Democratic leaders have pledged to pursue the rest of their spending priorities as part of a second $3.5 trillion budget measure that GOP lawmakers oppose.
Please go to Washington Post to read more.
Source: Washington Post
Senate approves bipartisan, $1 trillion infrastructure bill, bringing major Biden goal one step closer
Democrats along with 19 Republicans approved the public-works package in a Tuesday morning vote, teeing it up soon for the House
Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) speak at a news conference after a procedural vote for the bipartisan infrastructure framework on July 28. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By Tony Romm | August 10 2021
The Senate on Tuesday approved a roughly $1 trillion proposal to improve the nation's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections, advancing a historic burst in federal spending after years of failed attempts on Capitol Hill to invest anew in the country's aging infrastructure.
The 69-to-30 vote follows weeks of turbulent private talks and fierce public debates that sometimes teetered on collapse, as the White House labored alongside Democrats and Republicans to achieve the sort of deal that had eluded them for years. Even though the proposal must still clear the House, where some Democrats recently have raised concerns the measure falls short of what they seek, the Senate outcome moves the bill one step closer to delivering President Biden his first major bipartisan win.
The package, nearly half of which constitutes new spending, would mark the most significant investment in the country's inner workings since Congress marshaled a massive yet smaller rescue bill in the shadow of the Great Recession. It would combine lawmakers' desire for immediate, urgently needed fixes to the country's crumbling infrastructure with longer-term goals to combat challenges including climate change.
The bill proposes more than $110 billion to replace and repair roads, bridges and highways, and $66 billion to boost passenger and freight rail. That transit investment marks the most significant infusion of cash in the country's railways since the creation of Amtrak about half a century ago, the White House said.
The infrastructure plan includes an additional $55 billion to address lingering issues in the U.S. water supply, such as an effort to replace every lead pipe in the nation. It allocates $65 billion to modernize the country’s power grid. And it devotes additional sums to rehabilitating waterways, improving airports and expanding broadband Internet service, particularly after a pandemic that forced Americans to conduct much of their lives online.
Lawmakers also agreed to authorize a significant tranche of funding to improve the environment and respond to the oft-deadly consequences of a fast-warming planet. The aid includes $7.5 billion to build out a national network of electric-vehicle charging stations, a major priority for Biden, who has worked to advance the next generation of emissions-friendly vehicles. And it apportions $47 billion to respond to wildfires, droughts, coastal erosion, heat waves and other climate crises that previously have wrought significant economic havoc nationwide.
"America's often had the greatest prosperity and made the most progress when we invest in America itself," Biden said Tuesday in a speech heralding its passage, stressing the investments ultimately would create jobs. "And that’s what this infrastructure bill does, with overwhelming support from the United States Senate."
The White House helped craft the proposal alongside its chief congressional sponsors, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). The two for weeks shepherded a group of 10 lawmakers from both parties toward a compromise that could thread a needle — proffering the massive investments Biden initially sought without raising alarm among spending-wary Republicans.
The result is a bill that is less than the roughly $2.2 trillion American Jobs Plan that Biden put forward this spring, but one that every chamber Democrat along with 19 Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could still support. Democratic leaders have pledged to pursue the rest of their spending priorities as part of a second $3.5 trillion budget measure that GOP lawmakers oppose.
Please go to Washington Post to read more.
________
Related:
The corporate Bolsheviks behind the Democrats have something special for the American economy:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.