Washington: The US Senate on Tuesday passed a massive infrastructure bill that immediately propagated debate. President Joe Biden’s historic $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure plan paved a way for a major victory in the short term.
The bill which was passed by 69 votes to 30, was proposed by President Biden 7 weeks ago that hailed as a preliminary agreement to restore the nation’s roads, bridges, ports and internet connections also prioritizes climate change, universal pre schooling and affordable housing.
With a razor-thin majority in the Senate, Democrats pivoted quickly to a budget resolution containing spending instructions for the multi-trillion-dollar follow-up package. They plan to push the package through over the next few months, using a process called “budget reconciliation,” which bypasses the chamber’s normal rules requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation.
Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer credited Biden for winning approval of “the first major infrastructure package in over a decade on a bipartisan basis” after just seven months in office.
On the contrary, the bill was hit by dozens of Republican senators who signed a pledge not to vote in favour. Former Republican President Donald Trump called it a “disgrace,” noting the victory it would hand Biden, and threatened political reprisals against Republicans who voted for it.