Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes First Senate Test Vote, 67-32

The bipartisan trillion-dollar infrastructure bill has passed its first test vote in the Senate with an overwhelming 67 to 32 victory on Wednesday. This bill would be one of the largest investments in American infrastructure in the country’s history. President Joe Biden called it “the most significant long-term investment in our infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century.” The bill targets federal public works such as roads, bridges, mass transit and broadband access. It also authorizes specific projects to prepare cities for natural disasters. The bill plans on using unspent COVID relief dollars to help fund the projects.

In light of the news, Biden went to Twitter to continue raising support for the bill, which is now headed to the House.

Although the bill has been mostly supported by Democrats, 17 Republicans voted in favor. Among them was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who was slammed for his support by former President Donald Trump. Still, this victory signals a turning point in the usually stagnant bipartisan politics of Capitol Hill.

The infrastructure bill is far from being passed. Senators must now craft the legislative language on the bill and vote again on it. In the House, progressive Democrats have threatened to withhold their support. Recently, Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) recently called out the lack of diversity among the Senate bill’s negotiators.