Infrastructure Bill Discussion
brianlux
Posts: 42,042
A "duh" moment. If you build a thread, they will come.
Biden hails ‘monumental step forward’ as Democrats pass infrastructure bill
The president will sign $1tn package into law after House ended months-long standoff by approving bipartisan deal
Joe Biden saluted a “monumental step forward as a nation” on Saturday, after House Democrats finally reached agreement and sent a $1tn infrastructure package to his desk to be signed, a huge boost for an administration which has struggled for victories.
“This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America,” Biden said, “and it’s long overdue.”
There was also a setback, however, as Democrats postponed a vote on an even larger bill. That 10-year, $1.85tn spending plan to bolster health, family and climate change programmes, known as Build Back Better, was sidetracked after centrists demanded a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Biden said he was confident he could get it passed.
Walking out to address reporters at the White House, the president began with a joke at the expense of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
“Finally, it’s infrastructure week,” he said.
more at link
And from Heather Cox Richards letter this evening, no, Republicans, it is NOT "socialism":
Lincoln, who first articulated the principles of the Republican Party, and under whom the party invented the American income tax, the “legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves---in their separate, and individual capacities.” Those things included, he wrote, “public roads and highways, public schools, charities, pauperism, orphanage, estates of the deceased, and the machinery of government itself.”
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Comments
The first person to post here owes me a brand new copy of any vinyl LP of my choice. Why? Because I said so!
But I’ll say this. If the bill does include mass investment in electrified rail whether it be high speed or not.
If it does not, then I guess Greta and her friends are right...Its just talk
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I'm concerned about this possibly being a money sink as well. On the plus side, it will create jobs, make badly needed repairs in transportation, terribly old and crumbling power grid in much of the country, hopefully ground power stations to avoid the disastrous results of a Carrington type event, and improve rail service.
Improving and refurbishing existing railroads is, I believe, one of the most important aspects of this spending bill. We hear all this talk about global warming yet do little to slow it down. Here's a chance to do something positive in that direction. Railroads use the least amount of energy per weight and distance measurements than any other form of transportation. Rails systems are far more efficient energy-wise than trucking, automotive and shipping. A revitalized rail system makes tons of sense and I hope the powers that be recognize this.
Yes! And I understand some of the money will be used for Great Lakes restoration. Good thing!
As far as creating jobs…am I missing something, or aren’t we already at a shortage of employees? Do more jobs need to be created, or existing ones tweaked?
I take pretty much every promise from a politician and these so called amazing bills with a shitload of salt.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The $1 trillion infrastructure plan that now goes to President Joe Biden to sign into law has money for roads, bridges, ports, rail transit, safe water, the power grid, broadband internet and more.
The House passed the bipartisan plan Friday night and Biden said Saturday he will hold a signing ceremony when lawmakers return from a week’s recess.
The new law promises to reach almost every corner of the country. It’s a historic investment that the president has compared to the building of the transcontinental railroad and Interstate Highway System. The White House is projecting that the investments will add, on average, about 2 million jobs per year over the coming decade.
The bill cleared the House on a 228-206 vote, ending weeks of intraparty negotiations in which liberal Democrats insisted the legislation be tied to a larger, $1.75 trillion social spending bill — an effort to press more moderate Democrats to support both.
The Senate passed the legislation on a 69-30 vote in August after rare bipartisan negotiations, and the House kept that compromise intact. Thirteen House Republicans voted for the bill, giving Democrats more than enough votes to overcome a handful of defections from progressives.
Here’s a breakdown of the bill:
ROADS AND BRIDGES
The bill would provide $110 billion to repair the nation’s aging highways, bridges and roads. According to the White House, 173,000 total miles or nearly 280,000 kilometers of America’s highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. And the almost $40 billion for bridges is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the national highway system, according to the Biden administration.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
The $39 billion for public transit in the legislation would expand transportation systems, improve accessibility for people with disabilities and provide dollars to state and local governments to buy zero-emission and low-emission buses. The Transportation Department estimates that the current repair backlog is more than 24,000 buses, 5,000 rail cars, 200 stations and thousands of miles of track and power systems.
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT RAIL
To reduce Amtrak’s maintenance backlog, which has worsened since Superstorm Sandy nine years ago, the bill would provide $66 billion to improve the rail service’s Northeast Corridor (457 miles, 735 km), as well as other routes. It’s less than the $80 billion Biden — who famously rode Amtrak from Delaware to Washington during his time in the Senate — originally asked for, but it would be the largest federal investment in passenger rail service since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The bill would spend $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, which the administration says are critical to accelerating the use of electric vehicles to curb climate change. It would also provide $5 billion for the purchase of electric school buses and hybrids, reducing reliance on school buses that run on diesel fuel.
INTERNET ACCESS
The legislation’s $65 billion for broadband access would aim to improve internet services for rural areas, low-income families and tribal communities. Most of the money would be made available through grants to states.
MODERNIZING THE ELECTRIC GRID
To protect against the power outages that have become more frequent in recent years, the bill would spend $65 billion to improve the reliability and resiliency of the power grid. It would also boost carbon capture technologies and more environmentally friendly electricity sources like clean hydrogen.
AIRPORTS
The bill would spend $25 billion to improve runways, gates and taxiways at airports and to improve terminals. It would also improve aging air traffic control towers.
WATER AND WASTEWATER
The legislation would spend $55 billion on water and wastewater infrastructure. It has $15 billion to replace lead pipes and $10 billion to address water contamination from polyfluoroalkyl substances — chemicals that were used in the production of Teflon and have also been used in firefighting foam, water-repellent clothing and many other items.
PAYING FOR IT
The five-year spending package would be paid for by tapping $210 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief aid and $53 billion in unemployment insurance aid some states have halted, along with an array of smaller pots of money, like petroleum reserve sales and spectrum auctions for 5G services.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Maybe it is all good things, but this is also when stupid money gets spent and people wonder why and its gets pointed back to a foot note in a bill.
Its not just this bill, but I don't understad why its common practice to pass such large bills with the expectation that everyone who is voting hasn't even read it.
If we are still bitching about infrastructure after it’s spent then I’ll have a problem
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Everything in it may be great. I’m just not a fan of the practice of huge bills where almost no one has read it when they vote. Did this bill really need to be 2700 pages? If not, what is being snuck in? If it does, then maybe chunk it into a few bills they can actually read.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684/text
Forest Service and Fish and Game are getting $20-$30M (Mid $20s to mid $30s) each a year for several years. States are getting block grants for transportation infrastructure. S.D. is getting $2.6B despite their complete congressional delegation voting against the bill. That money should be slow walked.
Point being, bottom line, if you really want to know what’s in the bill, you can find out. It’s not that difficult.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
And I completely disagree with withholding funds for districts who’s representatives voted against it. They still pay taxes and fund the government. Just because their representative disagreed with how to spend money doesn’t mean their infrastructure should suffer.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
The 2 million commuters a day that pay $2.50 for a ride in the subway, same thing.
How much money gets syphoned into peoples pockets is anyone's guess.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
On The Squad voting against it? optics aren't good but they are being 100% honest w their constituents on "why" they voted against it.