The Senate is gearing up to pass a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure spending bill, with lawmakers releasing a lengthy blueprint Sunday.
Senators are slated to vote on the The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act “in a matter of days,” according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
The 2,700-page measure includes $550 billion in new spending in five years above previously projected federal levels, representing one of the largest amounts of spending on the nation’s transportation, bridges, roads and the electric grid in years.
The bipartisan package sets aside $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for rail. In addition, the bill includes $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure and billions for airports and electric vehicle charging stations.
“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 (D-Arizona) of the infrastructure legislation.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said it will be “great for the American people.”
But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas was less sanguine.
“It’s going to be a grind,” he said of getting enough votes to pass the infrastructure spending plan in the Senate, which Republicans have pushed back against in recent months.
He added that the legislative body should “take the time and care” to assess the expenditures.
“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 latest developments comes after 17 Republican senators joining Democrats last week in voting to start work on the bipartisan bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) voted yes in another procedural vote to greenlight the process in the Senate, a body where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster and push forward legislation.
With Post Wires
