Infrastructure Bill Close to Being a Done Deal

An agreement between the White House and U.S Senate calling for a $1.2 trillion, eight-year infrastructure bill is at long last on the verge of becoming reality.
The massive legislation includes $109 billion for road and bridge construction and upgrade projects; along with $66 billion for freight and passenger rail infrastructure; and just under $50 billion for public transit projects.
The nation’s airports are slated to receive $25 billion for a variety of facility projects, while ports and waterways are in line for $16 billion in funding.
A constant in the many versions of the infrastructure bill negotiated between the White House and Senate has been a commitment to funding for broadband construction, with both sides agreeing to a $65 billion price tag.
Negotiators were thrown off stride late last week when President Biden indicated that he would not sign the legislation unless Congress also approved a larger $4 billion social spending bill.
After lawmakers voiced objections to linking the two measures, the President issued a statement saying that his comments had “created the impression that I was issuing a veto threat on the very plan I had just agreed to, which was certainly not my intent.”
Lawmakers expressed relief in the wake of Biden’s statement, with Utah Senator Mitt Romney remarking on the television program State of the Union: “I take the President at his word.”
Romney added that if the one spending bill had been dependent upon the success of the other, it would have proven “very, very hard,” for the legislation to move forward.

By Garry Boulard

No Responses

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Leave a Reply

Get stories like these right to your inbox. ​Sign up for our newsletter
Archives
Construction Reporter

Show Password Forgot Password?