Earlier this week, President Biden signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure package. The bill was significant as, along with its nature of providing an unprecedented amount of money to spend on the country’s infrastructure, it was written and passed by a bipartisan coalition, a rarity in the present, hyper-divided Washington.
The bill includes money that goes to all 50 states, which will be spent on replacing lead pipes and broadband internet service, in addition to more traditional forms of infrastructure, like roads, ports and bridges, each of which there was a near-universal agreement that they needed fixing, plus an unprecedented amount spent to combat climate change.
A bill such as this has therefore been dreamed of for many years. Famously, Pres. Trump declared multiple weeks throughout his presidency “infrastructure week,” though nothing much ever came of them. Still, the sentiment was there, and it was on this that Congress moved forward.
Despite its bipartisan nature, as with a lot in the national political scene today, the bill was not saved from some level of controversy. On the Democratic side, some of the progressive legislators of the caucus, known unofficially as “The Squad,” did not support the bill, citing that it does not go far enough. This belief has gotten them some backlash from their fellow party members.
On the Republican side, the Trump Establishment has lashed out against the Republicans who supported the bill. One of whom is Western New York Congressman Tom Reed, who represents the Southern Tier in the House of Representatives.
He, as well as other Republicans who supported the bill, have received harsh criticism from the Trump wing of the party, and several have reported death threats from their constituents. Still, the bill is overwhelmingly popular and has been touted by supporters on both sides as something that will help the country well into the future.
Biden still hopes to get his other signature bill — the Build Back Better plan — through Congress, though he still faces significant opposition from both sides of the aisle. His success with the infrastructure bill, though, gives him much needed momentum as he faces problems at home and abroad.
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