President Biden has signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, legislation hailed by the White House as the largest-ever federal investment in U.S. bridges, drinking water, passenger rail and public transit. Biden signed the bipartisan bill Monday on the South Lawn of the White House, surrounded by lawmakers from both major parties.
President Joe Biden: “The bill I’m about to sign into law is proof that despite the cynics, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver results. We can do this.”
Progressive lawmakers are demanding Congress swiftly pass an even larger piece of legislation: the 10-year, $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act to fund social safety net programs and combat the climate crisis. All 50 Republican senators oppose the legislation, meaning it needs the support of conservative Democrats to pass.
Last week, West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin cast new doubt on the bill’s fate after he said he would oppose tax incentives for electric vehicles produced by union workers. Manchin has also refused to say if he’ll back President Biden’s pledge at the COP26 climate summit to slash methane emissions by 30% this decade. Biden has proposed a tax on methane as part of the reconciliation package.