By Eric Ham
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – After months of wrangling and tense back-and-forth negotiations, the House of Representatives finally passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill shortly before midnight Friday. Saturday morning President Biden hailed it as an inflection point toward winning “the competition of the 21st century.,
The legislation passed 228-206 with 13 Republicans crossing the aisle in support. Six progressive Democrats voted against the legislation, objecting to delay in advancing the separate $1.85 trillion Build Back Better package.
Having been passed by the Senate months ago, with 19 Republican votes, the bipartisan infrastructure bill now goes to the president for his signature. In his remarks he said he’s waiting until all its supporters can be assembled to participate. The House and Senate are now in recess for a week.
“It’s going to create more jobs –- good-paying jobs, union jobs that can’t be outsourced,” Biden said. “They’re going to transform our transportation system with the most significant investments in passenger rail — the most significant investment in 50 years; in roads and bridges — the most significant investment in 70 years; and more investment in public transit than we’ve ever, ever made.”
Biden said the measure will have long-term benefits. “I truly believe that 50 years from now, folks are going to look back and say, ‘This was the moment, this was the period, this year and the next couple years, when America decided to win the competition of the 21st century, to get in the game full bore.’”
Democrats found a renewed sense of urgency after Tuesday’s elections, on defensive after losing a number of high profile elections, including the governor’s race in Virginia. After a subpar performance on election night, President Biden sought to fend off accusations he wasn’t doing enough to deliver on his campaign promises, acknowledging the massive spending measure gives his party a much-needed victory. Still, more work remains.
“I think the one message that came across was: Get something done,” Biden said Saturday morning. “ It’s time to get something done. Stop — you all, stop talking. Get something done.”
The second part of President Biden’s agenda, the $1.75t Build Back Better legislation, is still being negotiated by moderates and progressives with the plan to get it to a vote in the House the week of Nov. 15. On Friday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it would be a “Thanksgiving present” to the American people.
Part of the Friday night breakthrough between six moderates and progressives was for the president to issue a statement acknowledging the advancement, with a procedural measure, the “rule” for voting on the BBB.
The larger social spending bill will lower costs for health care, child care, prescription drugs and provide a middle class tax cut, elements necessary to the progressives on board. For their part, moderate Democrats had to take the unusual step of signing a written agreement—backed by the president himself—to bring the Build Back Better Act to the House floor for a vote.
Moderates said they “remain committed to working to resolve any discrepancies in order to pass the Build Back Better legislation” once the Congressional Budget Office reports back on its estimate of costs.
However, the social spending package still has many hurdles to clear. Besides the CBO, the Senate parliamentarian has to agree the elements belong in a reconciliation measure.
Then numerous provisions currently in the House bill are likely to be stripped out or amended in the Senate. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona remain wildcards that can torpedo the cornerstone of the Biden agenda or at least trigger major alterations.
All eyes now turn to November 15th to see if Democratic lawmakers can deliver the massive social infrastructure spending bill. If and when the Senate passes it, the measure goes back to the House for another vote on the changes made in the upper chamber. Many are skeptical it will all be done by Thanksgiving.
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Contact this reporter: eric@macenews.com
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