Democrats are trying to move the bills in tandem to assuage progressives in their party who won’t vote for the infrastructure bill without the larger economic package. Centrists Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) are holding up the infrastructure bill in order to negotiate a smaller reconciliation package, which they say is too costly.
The 2,700-page Senate bill contains $550 billion in new infrastructure spending over the next five years, and represents the largest new federal investment in the country’s streets, bridges and highways in decades. It includes $110 billion for improvements to roads and bridges, and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail projects. IIJA passed the Senate on Aug. 10.
