Seventeen Senate Republicans Vote Yes to Move Infrastructure Bill Forward
The Senate voted yes to move forward with the infrastructure bill, including 17 Republicans.
Remember, this is just the vote to start the debate on the bill.
Procedure Vote
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer needs all 50 Democrats and at least 10 Republicans for the bill to pass:
The vote opens the process to debate and amend the proposal, which would put $550 billion into transportation, broadband and utilities. While senators who backed the procedural motion could oppose a final package, Wednesday’s vote bodes well for its chances of passage.The deal came together earlier in the day after Democratic and Republican negotiators resolved disputes over transit and broadband funding, among other issues. The plan was trimmed from the $579 billion in new spending senators and the White House agreed to last month — a sum many Democrats considered paltry.
It includes the following:
- $110 billion for roads
- $55 billion for clean drinking water
- $7.5 billion for electric vehicle infrastructure
- $5 billion for zero or low-emission buses
- $1 billion to demolish or reconstruct infrastructure that divided communities
Then we have the $3.5 trillion plan, which has nothing to do with infrastructure:
A second, separate $3.5 trillion plan to invest in child care, paid leave, education and measures to curb climate change could pose more problems. Every Democrat in the Senate will need to support the package to pass it without Republican votes.Some Democrats, such as Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have signaled they want a smaller final budget reconciliation bill. Sinema was the lead Democratic negotiator on the bipartisan bill.Attempts to appease centrists could alienate liberals who worry the bipartisan infrastructure bill fails to do enough to address climate change or strengthen the social safety net.
The government cannot make anything easy:
Schumer aims to pass both the bipartisan bill and the budget resolution that sets up the reconciliation process before the Senate leaves for its recess next month. The Senate will have to rush to pass both measures on Schumer’s timeline in an institution not known for speed.Pelosi has insisted she will not bring the infrastructure bill or budget measure to the House floor until the Senate passes both of them.
Thank you, Speaker Pelosi. Even though the bills have nothing to do with each other they have to go together. She is trying to appease the far-left radicals in the House, who demanded the non-infrastructure items go with the infrastructure bill.
Future Vote
Schumer needs all 50 Democrats and 10 Republicans to pass bills in the chamber.
He will not have Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). She voted to move forward with the debate, but has said she will not vote for the $3.5 trillion bill:
Sinema, D-Ariz., told The Arizona Republic on Wednesday she had reviewed the Senate Budget Committee’s spending framework and has told Senate leadership and Biden that she supports many of its goals, including job growth and American competitiveness.“I have also made clear that while I will support beginning this process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion — and in the coming months, I will work in good faith to develop this legislation with my colleagues and the administration to strengthen Arizona’s economy and help Arizona’s everyday families get ahead,” Sinema said in a written statement.
The Squad has already attacked Sinema because she won’t support their far-left big government spending.
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