US Congress passes Biden's historic $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure legislation

In a historic win for the US President Joe Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ agenda, US Congress on Nov. 5 passed the overhaul $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill after the Senate gave an overwhelming bipartisan approval. Biden’s once-in-a-generation infrastructure domestic policy which includes an estimated $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, social safety net programs, climate change efforts, resilience, internet, and more was passed Friday night in a vote of 228-206 after intense Democratic progressives and moderates sparring. 

The infrastructure spending bill is now tabled with the US president for his signature, US broadcasters on Friday confirmed. Biden’s $1.85 trillion Build Back Better legislation received 13 Republicans votes, while all 6 Democrat progressives voted against it. But with a sweeping majority, the bill was headed to the President's desk to be signed into law late Friday night after approximately 4 hours of delay due to persuasion for vote and negotiations with the Democrats. Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts; Rashida Tlaib of Michigan; Ilhan Omar of Minnesota; Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York all voted against the bill. 

The House was also planning Friday to open a procedural vote in order to get the consent of all Democrats for the Build Back Better Act to passage into a law. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reportedly spent major time over the phone convincing the House Dems and the Republicans to work out the differences before the deal was brokered that maintained at least 2 votes. Moderates demanded that the CBO score for the infrastructure plan must be released and then a vote in favour of its passage can be secured after next week's recess, Axios learnt. US President Biden also directly got involved in the negotiations. After several hours of meeting and deliberations, the bill was approved with a majority. 

Biden’s long-awaited infrastructure's last-minute contouring

US lawmakers have been in discussion about the bill for several weeks making changes to the ambitious $2 trillion domestic policy plan as they considered slashing the funding for the social services and climate change programs, and incorporating new taxes for the wealthier to transform the package into a more appealing one for the American citizens. White House in an official statement explained, "President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda means a fair tax system and once-in-a-generation investments in workers and working families." Biden’s long-awaited infrastructure spending bill had been undergoing the last-minute contouring to meet the demands of the progressives, who wanted major investments in social services. Pelosi meanwhile worked towards the concerns of the divided Senate to avert missing even a single vote.