Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a signal that our democracy can do big things: Biden

Washington [US], July 29 (ANI): President Biden on Wednesday hailed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal as a signal to the world that “our democracy can function, deliver and do big things.”

“Of course, neither side got everything they wanted in this deal. But that’s what it means to compromise and forge consensus–the heart of democracy. As the deal goes to the entire Senate, there is still plenty of work ahead to bring this home. There will be disagreements to resolve and more compromise to forge along the way,” Biden said in a statement after the deal was announced by senators on Wednesday (local time).

“But the bottom line is–the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America that will help make our historic economic recovery a historic long-term boom,” he said, reported The Hill. The agreement represents a significant victory for Biden, who campaigned on his ability to work across the aisle and unify the country.

White House officials and senators have poured over the details of the agreement for the past month, after Biden and the bipartisan group agreed to an infrastructure framework at the end of June following a meeting at the White House. The bill’s fate in Congress still remains unclear, despite the bipartisan support and the backing of business leaders and economists, which Biden noted in his statement.

Senators will first need to vote to move forward on debating the bill, text of which is yet to be released. That vote will need to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to defeat the filibuster. Last week, a similar vote failed because GOP senators refused to move forward with debate before the negotiations were completed. The Senate is voting Wednesday evening on starting a debate on the bill, The Hill said.

The bipartisan group notched an agreement after the negotiations hit a rough patch earlier this week amid disagreements on several issues. The final deal includes dollars 550 billion dollars in new spending, according to a White House fact sheet, including 110 billion dollars for roads, bridges and major projects and 55 billion dollars to replace lead pipes, which the White House says amounts to the largest federal investment in public transit in US history.

It also includes 11 billion dollars for transportation safety programs, 66 billion dollars for rail, 65 billion dollars to expand broadband access and 73 billion dollars to modernize the power grid. The deal includes provisions to invest in climate-friendly technologies, including 7.5 dollars billion to build a network of electric vehicle chargers and 2.5 billion dollars for zero-emission buses that will be added to the school bus fleet, The Hill reported further. (ANI)