Senate Votes to Advance Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

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Senate Votes to Advance Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

By District Energy posted 07-29-2021 10:29

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CNBC

Summary

The Senate voted Wednesday to advance a bipartisan infrastructure plan, a critical step toward Democrats passing their sweeping economic agenda.

Senators voted 67-32 to push the bill forward; 17 Republicans and all 50 Democrats voted yes.

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.

“Despite the popularity of it and the need for it Washington hasn’t been able to get it done,” said GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, the lead GOP negotiator of the deal, after the infrastructure vote. “This time we’re going to get it done.”

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.

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