In the wake of a deadly New York City flooding from Tropical Storm Ida, President Joe Biden has continued to push his $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. He cited “the climate crisis” as the reason for Congress to act now.
“When Congress returns this month, I’m going to press for their action on my Build Back Better plan that’s going to make historic investments in electrical infrastructure, modernizing our roads, bridges, our water systems, sewer and drainage systems, electric grids, and transmission lines and make them more resilient to these superstorms and wildfires and floods that are going to happen with increasing frequency and ferocity,” President Biden said.
The Senate voted 69-30 to pass a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill but has yet to hold a vote on the final passage of the bill. The bill currently includes $110 billion for roads and bridges, $73 billion for the electric grid and power infrastructure and resilience, $55 billion for water infrastructure, $39 billion for public transportation, $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, and $5 billion to buy electric and low-emission buses.
Democrats are also attempting to push through a secondary $3.5 trillion bill using special budget reconciliation rules and without any Republican support. It faces resistance from many Democratic moderates and proposes more money for renewable energy initiatives, free preschool, and community college classes, and enhanced home health care and childcare options.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, has been a staunch opponent to the second spending bill. White House chief of staff Ron Klain said that Manchin is “very persuadable” on the bill, even though it could create tax hikes on wealthy Americans. He said he couldn’t justify voting for the bill due to inflationary effects and the debt it would have on already-existing government programs. Manchin’s vote is critical since the Senate is currently divided 50-50 among Democrats and Republicans.
Manchin has even suggested pausing the Build Back Better infrastructure bill due to climate change effects in Hurricane Ida. He said it is a “strange belief” for Congress to believe there is an infinite supply of money to deal with current or future crises. He said that spending trillions upon trillions would only have negative consequences for the future.
Many radical Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have lashed out at Manchin’s support of the Republican Party. AOC said they should “hit the cancel button” on the bipartisan charade of an Exxon lobbyist drafted bill until they pass a law that helps people’s lives with healthcare expansion, childcare, and climate action. She said Manchin’s decisions have been “killing people” and that she is sick of the “bipartisan corruption” being masqueraded as clear-eyed moderation.
But Manchin has made it crystal clear that the House of Reps cannot vote on any Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill until the Senate has completed its work to pass the reconciliation package.
The reconciliation package is another bill stuffed with leftist goodies and more money to spend on debt relief, clean vehicles, environmental justice investments, health equity, tax “fairness,” universal Pre-K, making permanent status for qualified immigrants, and electrifying the federal vehicle fleet.
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that 19 Senate Republicans voted for includes additional money for gender identity, digital equity, carbon reduction programs, and expanding the border processing stations. The bill contains the word “equity” 64 times.
Instead of cutting spending, Democrats and mainstream media want to raise the debt ceiling. At this point, why do we have a debt ceiling? It’s always raised every time federal spending approaches it and comes off as nothing but a charade. It’s incomprehensible how many government officials could vote for so many worthless leftist projects that could very well cost our country its financial future. Then what?
