Infrastructure Deal: U.S Senate Advances In Major Bipartisan Breakthrough

U.S. Senate advanced a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package in a Wednesday evening procedural vote, a significant development for legislation brokered by both parties and the White House as they seek to clinch a rare bipartisan victory on Capitol Hill.

After Republicans blocked the package last week, 17 GOP senators joined all 50 Democrats in the motion to proceed after a month of negotiations on a top Biden agenda item.

Senate Democrats and Republicans banded together on Wednesday to advance a roughly $1 trillion proposal to improve the country’s aging infrastructure, overcoming months of political deadlock on one of President Biden’s signature economic policy priorities.

The day of breakthroughs began with news of a deal, as a bipartisan bloc of 10 negotiators coalesced around a package to upgrade the nation’s roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections. The announcement from some of the group’s leaders, including Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), capped off a series of frenetic talks that nearly collapsed amid behind-the-scenes battles about the new spending and how to pay for it.

With that once-elusive agreement finally in hand, the Senate hours later then took its first formal legislative step. Lawmakers voted 67-32 to put themselves on track to begin debating infrastructure reform this week, clearing the first of many hurdles toward adopting a proposal that the White House has described as historic.