After weeks of review and debate, the U.S. Senate has passed President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure legislation.
The 2,700-page bill, passed on a 69 to 30 vote with strong bipartisan support, includes $110 billion for road, bridge and major infrastructure projects across the country.
Some $65 billion will go for improving the nation’s broadband infrastructure, a figure reduced from the President’s earlier proposed $100 billion. Of that amount, $2 billion will target investments in Tribal community broadband projects.
Although the figure changed several times in the past weeks, the measure also provides $40 billion for the rehabilitation, repair, and replacement of bridges.
Another $39 billion will target the upgrading and modernization of public transit, a figure that had earlier been set at $49 billion.
Some $25 billion will go for maintenance and repair backlogs in the nation’s airports, with $17 billion set for port infrastructure work.
A smaller $7.5 billion is set to fund the construction of a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations.
Noting previous unsuccessful attempts to pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill in the Senate, Biden remarked “We are on the cusp of an infrastructure decade that I truly believe will transform America.”
Officially called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the measure also devotes $55 billion for water infrastructure projects. Of that amount $15 billion will be used to replace lead pipes.
Although the measure is being hailed for its bipartisan support, its future in the House is not entirely clear.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has earlier said that the legislation will not be considered until a larger $3.5 trillion bill including expanded funding for health care, education, and climate change projects is approved.
New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich hailed passage of the Senate bill, saying it means “hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs for Americans,” and will “ensure our nation’s infrastructure meets 21st century needs.”
While some House Democrats have criticized the Senate bill being too restrictive in its funding priorities, Texas Senator Ted Cruz said he could not support a measure that “isn’t paid for, contains so many wasteful pet projects, and paves the way for trillions of dollars in partisan tax hikes and wasteful spending.”
By Garry Boulard