What’s in them and what could happen next
By a vote of 69 to 30, including 19 Republicans and all 50 Democrats, the U.S. Senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, on Tues., Aug. 10, 2021.1 Following passage, the proposed legislation was sent to the House of Representatives where further adjustments are expected. Should the bill pass, the House and Senate will need to consolidate their respective versions for a final bill to go to President Biden for his signature.
Tuesday’s bill is one of two pieces of infrastructure legislation under consideration in the Senate. In addition to the $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill, a second $3.5 trillion Democratic proposal is in play.
On Aug. 9, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed this second bill in a letter to colleagues saying, “I will immediately move to the FY2022 Budget Resolution with reconciliation instructions.”2 Reconciliation means the $3.5 trillion bill could pass the Senate by a simple majority vote avoiding the risk of a filibuster. And some House progressives had said they would not support the bipartisan plan unless the Senate moved quickly on the second bill.
INVESTOPEDIA
By JIM PROBASCO Updated Aug 11, 2021