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The Senate voted on Wednesday to begin debate on a $ 1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package just hours after negotiators from both sides announced they had reached agreement on key points of the draft. law.
Lawmakers voted 67-32 to end filibustering on a motion to proceed with the measure, with 17 Republicans joining the 50 Democrats in voting to start debate.
Wednesday’s vote is expected to begin several days of attempts by senators from both parties to amend the bill ahead of expected votes to end debate – which requires 60 ‘yes’ votes – and final adoption early next week .
The announcement that a deal had been reached earlier Wednesday was rejected by former President Donald Trump, who called the package a “terrible deal.”
“Hard to believe our Senate Republicans are dealing with the radical left Democrats by making a so-called bipartisan ‘infrastructure’ bill, with our negotiators led by SUPER RINO Mitt Romney,” the 45th President said in a statement. press release sent by email.
“It will be a victory for the Biden administration and the Democrats, and will be widely used in the 2022 election. It’s a loser for the United States, a terrible deal, and makes Republicans look weak, stupid and stupid. It shouldn’t be done.
The Biden administration has trumpeted the bill, which includes $ 550 billion in new spending on public works projects, such as “the largest federal investment in public transit ever” and “the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak “.
The main provisions of the measure include $ 110 billion for roads and bridges, $ 66 billion for passenger and freight rail transport, $ 65 billion for broadband Internet, more than $ 50 billion for hydraulic infrastructure, $ 25 billion for airports and $ 7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations. It is also providing $ 73 billion for “clean energy transmission … including building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewables,” and $ 21 billion for sanitation. the environment, which the White House has called “the biggest investment in tackling the legacy pollution that harms the public health of communities and neighborhoods in American history.”
Republican negotiators introduced the bill to their colleagues noting that it would be paid in part using $ 205 billion in unspent COVID-19 emergency aid and $ 53 billion in insurance aid -Unemployment that more than two dozen Republican-led states have declined. It also relies on economic growth to bring in $ 56 billion.
However, Trump said the package “establishes an easy path for Democrats to then go beyond what everyone thought possible in future legislation. It will be continued destruction of our country.”
“Our borders are horrible, crime is at an all time high, taxes and inflation are rising dramatically, the economy is shrinking dramatically, and now it is,” he concluded. “Don’t do it, Republicans, the Patriots will never forget! If this deal happens, many primaries will come your way! “
Trump has repeatedly pleaded with Republicans to withdraw from negotiations, saying Monday they should “wait until we get proper election results in 2022 or otherwise, and regain a strong negotiating position.”
Wednesday’s vote is expected to begin several days of attempts to amend the bill by senators from both parties. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has indicated he is prepared to delay the start of the August recess, which is due to begin August 9, to complete work on the Bill on infrastructure and a broader budget resolution.
“My objective remains to pass both the bipartite bill on infrastructure and a budget resolution during this period of work. Both, ”Schumer said after Wednesday’s vote. “It can take long nights. It could eat away at our weekends. But we’ll get the job done and we’re on the right track. “
However, Democrats will likely have to reduce the size of the budget resolution after Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) announced earlier Wednesday that she would not back it at a price of $ 3.5 trillion. With the Senate split 50-50, Democrats must keep Sinema and his moderate colleague Joe Manchin of West Virginia by their side if they are to pass the resolution without Republican support through parliamentary tactics of reconciliation.
Another complication comes in the form of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Who has said she will not consider the bipartisan bill until the larger reconciliation package has been completed. adopted.
With post wires
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