WAPO: INfrastructure: Patience, persistence pay off as Biden brings infrastructure package across fi

[lindysalsagal]

Bipartisan deal would have ramifications for roads, bridges, ports, and broadband access across the entire country, delivering on a campaign promise.

By Jeff Stein Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT| Updated today at 10:13 a.m. EDT

Less than 10 months after taking office and several days after his party suffered a stinging defeat in the Virginia governor’s race, President Biden achieved one of his long-sought goals: a bipartisan agreement that would make major investments in all 50 states for years to come.

Biden called the bill a “once-in-a-generation” investment that would create millions of jobs and improve America’s economic standing.

Biden said the measure included the most significant investment in roads and bridges in 70 years; the most significant investment in passenger rail in 50 years; and the most significant investment in public transit in history. Biden said he and Harris would have a formal signing ceremony for the measure “soon,” citing the desire for those who worked on the legislation to be able to attend.

"For all you at home who feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that’s changing so rapidly — this bill is for you,” Biden said. “The vast majority of the thousands of jobs that will be created do not require a college degree.”

The approximately $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill — which includes roughly $550 billion in new spending — now heads to Biden’s desk for enactment. The Senate first passed the bill in August. The measure had languished in the House for several months as liberal lawmakers sought to use their leverage over the plan to advance Biden’s larger climate and social spending bill, but Democrats reached a deal late Friday night to proceed.

[Champp]

1. "Damn Dems are doing something good for America." - Republicans & Russians

"We must find better ways to stop them before they do more good." - Republicans & Russians

[panader0]

2. "Patience and persistence"?

I believe the BIF could have passed over a month ago if it hadn't been tied to the BBB bill.
That said, I'm very glad it passed now, although an earlier pass may have had positive effects
on Nov 2nd.

[EarlG]

3. Another way of looking at it....

If the infrastructure bill had passed before Nov. 2 and Youngkin had still gone on to win in VA, the media would have touted the infrastructure bill as a disaster which caused Dems to lose.

This in turn may had led to even more opposition to BBB (cue the “problem solvers” yelling about how Americans don’t want all that spending.)

Since it happened the other way around, that kind of attack is now off the table. In fact it now appears that the VA loss is what’s lit a fire under everyone’s asses to get stuff done.