Biden Agrees To Bipartisan $600 Billion Infrastructure Compromise Bill

President Joe Biden has agreed to a revised infrastructure bill crafted by a bipartisan group of 10 senators. The bill will increase federal spending to about $600 billion. Elements such as child care and climate change, which were integral to Biden’s campaign, are being moved into a future budget reconciliation bill, which can pass the Senate with a simple majority. The compromise bill focuses on new investments in roads, broadband internet and electric utilities. This bill is part of Biden’s $4 trillion economic proposals.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have yet to see the revisions and so the success of the bill is still many steps away from approval.

Democrats were hopeful a revised infrastructure bill will pass soon, as discussions continued late Wednesday. A group of 10 senators, both Democrats and Republicans, announced the possibility of a deal on Wednesday. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), spoke to White House aides yesterday. “I’m optimistic that we’ve had a breakthrough,” she said. “We’ve agreed on the price tag, the scope, and how to pay for it.”

After a meeting with officials, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) said, ​”We came to an agreement on a plan that we have and we’re just going to try to wrap it up tomorrow.”

The bipartisan plan is considered a significant breakthrough for Biden. When speaking about the agreement, Biden said, “it reminds me of the days we used to get an awful lot done up in the United States Congress.”

The bill would be the largest investment in the nation’s infrastructure in U.S. history.

Article by Begonia El Koury