US Congress passes $1tn infrastructure spending package

The US Congress has recently passed a landmark of $1tn for the package of infrastructure spending. It is now delivering a huge domestic win to Joe Biden. The negotiations over the sweeping public bill, which has passed the House of Representatives. They got 228-206 votes which created a much bitter split within Democrats.

The House is now moving forward along with a much ambitious social spending bill that the liberal lawmakers are favoring. The infrastructure package is now heading towards the desk of Mr. Biden to become a law.

The infrastructure legislation has now proposed an amount of $550bn in the expenditure over the next eight years. It will be used for upgrading highways, bridges, and roads. It will now further modernize the transit system of the city.

This agreement is setting aside the funding for higher speed internet, drinking water, and a better network for the charging point of electric vehicles. It has been one of the largest federal investments in the infrastructure of the country for decades.

“Tonight, we took a monumental step forward as a nation,” Mr. Biden said. “Generations from now, people will look back and know this was when America won the economic competition for the 21st Century.”

It will now get finance in several years, which includes unspent relief funds from the pandemic. The passage of it is marking a huge achievement for the administration of Biden amidst the lower approval ratings. Also, it is a defeat of democrats.

Three months ago, at least 19 republicans joined with the democrats to approve this legislation in the Senate. On Friday, the bill passed the House with the backup from 13 republicans. But more liberal lawmakers are balking at the final version. They are complaining that the policies had been dropped for the winning of bipartisan.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus he pledged now to support the bill until they had voted for a separate bill. If passed, that social welfare bill of $1.75tn will push the expansion of the safety net in the US in more than 50 years.

Democrats have control over both the chambers of Congress with a slim majority. The Centrist Democrats will continue to object to the size and scope of this sprawling bill. On Friday, the House leader brokered a compromise. They are insisting on a vote on the infrastructure bill. The chamber passed a procedural vote earlier.

It will take at least two weeks for the bill to pass after its approval from the US Congress. The Democratic leaders have said that the bill will pass before Thanksgiving.

Credits: BBC