Senate High Fives Itself On Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. But What’s Next?

July 29, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 28: U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) (L) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) (R) answer questions from members of the press during a news conference after a procedural vote for the bipartisan infrastruc... WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 28: U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) (L) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) (R) answer questions from members of the press during a news conference after a procedural vote for the bipartisan infrastructure framework at Dirksen Senate Office Building July 28, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Senate has advanced the bipartisan infrastructure framework with the vote of 67-32. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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July 29, 2021

Hours after the bipartisan group of senators behind the “hard” infrastructure package announced that a deal had been reached following months of negotiations and handwringing, the Senate voted to open debate on the bill on Wednesday evening.

Seventeen Republican senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), crossed party lines to pass the procedural measure in a 67-32 vote.

Although the group behind the bipartisan infrastructure deal released a full summary of the deal that outlined pay-fors to fund $550 billion in new spending over five years, the text of the bill has yet to be released.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) signaled in remarks following the vote to advance the bill that the drama over both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation package is far from over.

“My goal remains to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution this work period,” Schumer said. “It might take some long nights, it might eat into our weekends, but we are going to get the job done. And we are on track.”

We’ll be tracking where both the bipartisan “hard” infrastructure deal and the reconciliation “human” infrastructure bill go from here.

Read our live coverage below:

More Less

Hours after the bipartisan group of senators behind the “hard” infrastructure package announced that a deal had been reached following months of negotiations and handwringing, the Senate voted to open debate on the bill on Wednesday evening.

Seventeen Republican senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), crossed party lines to pass the procedural measure in a 67-32 vote.

Although the group behind the bipartisan infrastructure deal released a full summary of the deal that outlined pay-fors to fund $550 billion in new spending over five years, the text of the bill has yet to be released.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) signaled in remarks following the vote to advance the bill that the drama over both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation package is far from over.

“My goal remains to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution this work period,” Schumer said. “It might take some long nights, it might eat into our weekends, but we are going to get the job done. And we are on track.”

We’ll be tracking where both the bipartisan “hard” infrastructure deal and the reconciliation “human” infrastructure bill go from here.

Read our live coverage below:

Notable Replies

  1. Yertle is seeing the 2022 polling on the wall

  2. After four years, we FINALLY have a President who knows how to have

    "Infrastructure Week"

  3. Yes. And/But: Conspicuous in their absence from the list of GOPers who voted with the Dems are those who think they have a shot at the party’s nomination for President (read: those who want/need to have Trump’s approval). Cruz, Cotton, just off the top of my head.

  4. Avatar for noonm noonm says:

    My speculation is more that McConnell needs a distraction for the media from the House Jan 6th committee. The testimony so far is devastating for the GOP. Getting Democrats and the media talking about the ‘great bipartisan’ infrastructure bill is a useful distraction.

  5. “There’s a new sheriff in town…”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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