Senators finally unveil $1TRILLION infrastructure bill: $66B for railways in largest spending since creation of Amtrak, $55B on clean water to replace every lead pipe in US and $7.5B for network of electric vehicle charging stations
After much delay, senators finally unveiled a $1trillion infrastructure package Sunday night that includes historic funding for railways, clean water and electric car charging stations.
Of the $1trillion package, $66billion is earmarked for railways - the largest spending since the creation of Amtrak in the 1970s - $55billion will fund the replacement of every lead pipe in the country and $7.5billion will go towards building the first-ever network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
The bill also includes an additional $65billion to expand broadband Internet access across the country, and senators are pursuing for upwards of $25billion to repair major airports.
Those are a few of the highlights in The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is about 2,700 pages, which the senators could begin amending.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he expects a vote on the proposal this week
'It takes our aging and outdated infrastructure in this country and modernizes it, and that’s good for everybody,' Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, one of the bill's chief architects, said Sunday night.
Among the fiercest debates has been how to fund the massive bill, which calls for $550billion in new spending over five years. The rest of the bill comes from existing, planned investments in the country’s roads, highways and bridges.
'We haven't done a large, bipartisan bill of this nature in a long time,' Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat.
Democrats, led by the president, wanted to use new tax revenues such as a new gas tax, which was rejected by Republican senators.
Republicans wanted to raise money through fees from those who use the infrastructure, which Democrats rejected.
The bipartisan compromise did away with both but the result is sure to spark intense debate.
The compromise includes funds from repurposing some $205billion in untapped COVID-19 relief aid, as well as unemployment assistance that was turned back by some states and relying on projected future economic growth.
'I've got real concerns with this bill,' Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, said afterwards.
Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, echoed the sentiments on Friday saying the revenue estimates, which is being counted on to fund the bill, are 'lofty and unrealistic.'
Statements like these ensure this will be fiery week - or longer - of debate over President Joe Biden's priority agenda.
Still, Schumer and other Senators remained optimistic that they could get the bill passed this week. Schumer said the vote could be held 'in a matter of days.'
To get the bill passed in a 50-50 Senate, the fragile bipartisan coalition of 10 Senators that authored the bill has to stick together and be open to compromise.
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, center, speaks with Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., left, while Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., walks by at right, as the Senate votes to formally begin debate on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan, a process that could take several days
As a note, the Democrats hold the slightest edge because Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tiebreaking vote.
Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and one of the chief negotiators, said on CNN's 'State of the Union' that it's 'my expectation and my hope' that the proposal passes the Senate this week.
Senators and staff have labored behind the scenes for days to write the massive bill. It was supposed to be ready Friday, but by Sunday even more glitches were caught and changes made. To prod the work, Schumer kept senators in session over the weekend, encouraging the authors to finish up work.
Late Sunday night, most of the 10 senators involved in the bipartisan effort rose on the Senate floor to mark the moment.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., updates reporters on the infrastructure negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, at the Capitol in Washington on July 28
'We know that this has been a long and sometimes difficult process, but we are proud this evening to announce this legislation,' said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat and lead negotiator.
The bill showed 'we can put aside our own political differences for the good of the country,' she said.
Republican negotiator Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio said the final product will be 'great for the American people.'
Throughout the weekend, Schumer repeatedly warned that he was prepared to keep lawmakers in Washington for as long as it took to complete votes on both the bipartisan infrastructure plan as well as a budget blueprint that would allow the Senate to begin work later this year on a massive, $3.5trillion social, health and environmental bill.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, predicted: 'It's going to be a grind.'
The spending is broadly popular among lawmakers, bringing long-delayed capital for big-ticket items that cites and states can rarely afford on their own.
Bipartisan support from Republican and Democratic senators pushed the process along, and Schumer wanted the voting to be wrapped up before senators left for the August recess.
Last week week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bipartisan bill.
The support largely held, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voting yes in another procedural vote to nudge the process along in the 50-50 Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel voted yes in another procedural vote to nudge the process along in the 50-50 Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key negotiator in the bipartisan infrastructure agreement, stands outside the chamber as the Senate advances the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan at the Capitol on July 30
Whether the number of Republican senators willing to pass the bill grows or shrinks in the days ahead will determine if the president's signature issue can make it across the finish line.
Cornyn said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bipartisan bill and allow for amendments from members of both parties.
'I hope we can now pump the brakes a little bit and take the time and care to evaluate the benefits and the cost of this legislation,' Cornyn said.
The bipartisan bill still faces a rough road in the House, where progressive lawmakers want a more robust package but may have to settle for this one to keep Biden´s infrastructure plans on track.
The outcome with the bipartisan effort will set the stage for the next debate over Biden's much more ambitious $3.5trillion package, a strictly partisan pursuit of far-reaching programs and services including child care, tax breaks and health care that touch almost every corner of American life.
Republicans strongly oppose that bill, which would require a simple majority for passage. Final votes on that measure are not expected until fall.
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