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US House Passes $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill, Prepares for $1.8 Trillion Social Spending Bill

Photo: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty

November 8, 2021 ~ Friday, following months of postponement, the US House of Representatives passed President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion spending bill that will give Michigan billions in funding once it is signed into law.

The money will be used to repair roads, bridges, improve public transit and increase access to broadband internet.

The bipartisan infrastructure plan is a win-win for Michigan because it will create countless good-paying, blue collar jobs, while helping us fix even more roads and bridges across the state,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer in a statement about the bill. “I am grateful to Michigan’s congressional delegation for working to get this done.”

Somebody said to ‘fix our damn roads,’” said Congressman Fred Upton to 760 WJR’s Kevin Dietz. “This bill is going to do that.”


November 8, 2021 ~ Congressman Fred Upton tells Kevin Dietz why he voted yes on the Infrastructure Bill.

The funding the bill will provide Michigan includes $7.3 billion toward fixing roads, $1 billion toward public transportation, $1.3 billion for water infrastructure — which includes replacement of lead pipes, $100 million toward increasing access to broadband internet, and $110 million toward electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The measure was passed 228-206, with thirteen Republicans supporting the bill, and six Democrats voting against it.

In addition to the infrastructure bill, the House also passed a procedural consideration measure for the $1.85 trillion Build Back Better Act.

Five Democrats questioned the impact of the budget for the Build Back Better Act, which prompted Senator Bernie Sanders to call out the representatives.

Interesting. Conservative Dems want to make sure that Build Back Better is fully paid for at exactly the same time that they voted for an infrastructure bill that, according to the CBO, increases the federal deficit by $256 billion,” said Sanders in a Tweet. “Not very consistent!”

 

Congress will reconvene on November 15, though it is still unclear when the next measure will be voted on.