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BY LILY SENDROFF | As early as Sunday morning, both Republican and Democratic senators involved in negotiations on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF) bill said they were “close to a final agreement.” But talks seemed to deteriorate on Sunday night and into Monday morning, putting BIF negotiation talks on shaky ground, though still ongoing.
But for Democrats in both the Senate and House, the bipartisan bill—focused on so-called “traditional” infrastructure such as water systems, roads, bridges, clean power sources and broadband—is just the first step in their and Biden’s ambitious Build Back Better for Working Families Plan.
The Democrats’ $3.5 trillion package moves beyond traditional infrastructure like bridges and roads to include investments known as “human infrastructure,” including universal pre-K and extensions to the child tax credit, free community college, expanded in-home caregiving for the disabled and elderly, mitigating threats posed by climate change, lowering child care, health care and prescription drug costs, and reducing taxes on middle and working-class families.
“Human infrastructure is intertwined with our physical infrastructure,” said Biden, who plans to pay for the package by raising the corporate income tax rate from 21 to 28 percent.
Members of Congress plan to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill through the traditional Senate rules, which require 60 votes to proceed to debate on a measure. But the human infrastructure measure will need to be passed through a Senate process called reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority. All 50 Senate Democrats must vote to support the human infrastructure package to circumvent Republican obstruction. With an evenly divided Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris will be able to cast the tie-breaking vote if necessary.
Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the package “the most significant legislation to expand, support and help American families since the New Deal … this is generational, transformational change to help American families who need the help in this rapidly changing world.”
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