Not many people wake up thrilled at the possibility of a federal bill on infrastructure. But the US Senate’s passage of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, with $550 billion in new spending, is a big deal — one that could directly and indirectly affect Americans’ lives.
The bill, passed in a bipartisan 69-30 vote on Tuesday, includes a lot of measures that will help current and future generations: a major expansion of high-speed internet; spending for roads, bridges, and public transit; and funding for clean drinking water. It includes new measures to combat climate change, like money for electric vehicles and modernizing the power grid.
Second, the fact that the Senate reached a bipartisan deal could unlock an even bigger and more ambitious bill that would also make a big difference in people’s lives — by giving the moderate Democrats in the legislative body the cover they wanted to vote for a bill that Congress can pass with only Democratic support.
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