Infrastructure Bill Nears Senate Passage but 'Progressives' Still Want a $3.5T Budget Busting Social Wish List
Read Transcript
- The bipartisaninfrastructure bill is designed
to bring our infrastructureup to date for a new century.
And that is a significant achievement.
- [Reporter] The majorityleader Chuck Schumer thinks
a final vote could beheld in a matter of days.
The $1 trillion proposal wouldimprove the country's roads,
bridges, ports, and internet connections,
also upgrading passenger railways.
What the White House callsthe largest such investment
since the creation of Amtraknearly a half century ago.
It also seeks to improvethe nation's water supply
and replace every leadwater pipe in the country.
Serious divisions still loomover the bipartisan bill,
chief among them are concerns
the $1 trillion in new spendingis not actually covered
by new revenue and couldadd to the deficit.
The bill came after weeks of haggling
among a bipartisan block of lawmakers,
and for Schumer and progressiveDemocrats, it's not enough.
They're still aimingto pass a $3.5 trillion
social infrastructure bill
that includes massive new social programs.
- That's why soon after this bill passes,
the Senate Democrats will press forward
with a budget resolutionto allow the Senate
to make further historic,vitally important investments
in American jobs, American families,
and efforts to reverse climate change.
- [Reporter] However, that has to pass
through budget resolution,
meaning every Democrat has to support it.
Moderate Democrat Joe Manchinsays it's not a done deal.
- Can't really guaranteeanybody, you know,
and I have not guaranteed anybody
on any of these pieces of legislation.
Would we like to do more?
Yeah, you can do what you can pay for.
- [Reporter] If budgetreconciliation fails,
the whole house of cards could come down
under the protest ofprogressive Democrats.
Representative AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez of New York told CNN
that progressives havemore than enough votes
to block the bipartisaninfrastructure deal in the House
if the Senate doesn't also pass
the sweeping reconciliation bill.
Meanwhile, another headache for Democrats,
the moratorium on evictionsexpired over the weekend
meaning millions could bekicked out of their homes.
Dale Hurd, CBN News.