Senate Passes Infrastructure Bill
As we’re sure you’ve heard, the U.S. Senate passed a historic bipartisan bill yesterday designed to repair and strengthen America’s infrastructure, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription).
A quick recap: The $1 trillion bill comprises $550 billion in spending above previously projected federal levels, including $110 billion for roads and bridges, $66 billion for rail, $40 billion for transit and $65 billion for expanded internet access. It also offers $65 billion for improving the electrical grid, $50 billion for climate and cyber resiliency and $15 billion for electric charging stations and low-emission public transit, among other provisions.
What’s next: The bill now moves to the House of Representatives. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has announced that the House will return from its recess on August 23rd to consider the budget resolution, leaving uncertain when House members will vote on the bipartisan infrastructure legislation.
What we’re saying: “The Senate’s passage of this historic, bipartisan legislation is a tremendous achievement and a credit to President Biden and the group of senators who met across the aisle to address our country’s longstanding infrastructure needs,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “This is the type of infrastructure investment manufacturers have long championed, and the bipartisan approach shows that our legislators can indeed still come together to accomplish transformational change. We now urge members of the House to follow the Senate’s example, pass this bipartisan bill and send it to the president’s desk for his signature without delay.”
- “The NAM pulled out all the stops to help get this across the finish line in the Senate, from robust traditional lobbying efforts to focused grassroots and media engagement,” added NAM Vice President of Government Relations Jordan Stoick. “Our focus is now squarely on the House, where we are calling for Democratic leadership to schedule without delay a vote on this important bipartisan infrastructure investment.”
NAM CEO and President Jay Timmons Stated, “The Senate’s passage of this historic, bipartisan legislation is a tremendous achievement and a credit to President Biden and the group of senators who met across the aisle to address our country’s longstanding infrastructure needs. This is the type of infrastructure investment manufacturers have long championed, and the bipartisan approach shows that our legislators can indeed still come together to accomplish transformational change. We now urge members of the House to follow the Senate’s example, pass this bipartisan bill and send it to the president’s desk for his signature without delay.
“The more than 12 million men and women of manufacturing are counting on Congress to get this done—because it will renew and revitalize our nation’s physical infrastructure, improving productivity and quality of life for everybody, without erasing the tax reforms that helped manufacturers keep our promises to innovate, hire more employees, raise wages and benefits and reinvest in communities.
“The NAM has led the charge for historic investments in infrastructure for years, as outlined in our infrastructure blueprint, ‘Building to Win,’ and many of its recommendations are in the final Senate bill. The bill also includes a range of actions that the NAM calls for in our climate policy plan, ‘The Promise Ahead,’ along with many of the NAM’s supply chain and permitting goals, which are laid out in ‘Strengthening the Manufacturing Supply Chain.’
“With world-class infrastructure enhancing our competitiveness, manufacturers will be better prepared to help build an economy that lifts up all Americans and enables us to lead through this century and into the next.”
Article provided by the National Association of Manufacturers.