In the wee hours of the Washington morning, the House passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, or BIF. This was the Sinema/Manchin bill that got 19 Republican votes in the Senate. The vote tonight was 228-206, with 13 Republicans voting aye. As I’m sure you know, this is a big piece of the President’s agenda. It’s got a lot of good stuff in it–more on that in a second.
This vote followed a busy day of negotiations between the moderate and progressive wings of the House caucus. In the end, they arrived at a sort of pinkie-swear: the moderates agreed to pass the Build Back Better reconciliation bill mostly in its present form, with some caveats about cost scoring that will likely provide a fig leaf for their eventual yes vote as well as letting them chip away at various components of the bill.
So what is in the BIF? Is it, as some leftier-than-thou types on Twitter allege, just a normal highway bill? Of course not. Yes, its base was the highway bill, but it’s got an additional $550 billion of investments which, if it had passed in 2009, would have had us leaping for joy.
- $110 billion for road and bridge repair
- $66 billion for upgrading and maintaining passenger trains
- $65 billion for making the power grid more robust and reliable
- $39 billion for public transit
- $25 billion for upgrades and expansions at airports
- $17 billion for upgrades and expansions at ports
- $65 billion for rural broadband
- $55 billion for upgrading water infrastructure, including replacing all lead pipes (!!!)
- $47 billion for cybersecurity and climate change mitigation
- $21 billion for cleaning up toxic waste
- $15 billion for electric vehicle charging stations and electric school buses
- $11 billion for safety initiatives
- $8 billion for Western water security
I’m so old I remember when we thought that lead in drinking water was a big deal.
Where does this leave the BBB bill? That is up to the senate, as always. Is this a capitulation on Pelosi or the Progressive Caucus’s part? Is it just supposed to look that way? Who knows how these things work. We will see.
Open thread!
Craig
Progress is good.
ETA: Nancy can count.
JaySinWa
You did it better than JC anyway.
I’m getting the text with no visual box here now,
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
I stand corrected from the other thread downstairs
Geminid
@Craig: And Nancy can shade. Earlier this evening she was speaking to the House, and someone on the Republican side laughed out loud. The Speaker responded:
Major Major Major Major
@JaySinWa: I felt like some cheerleading was in order.
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): not targeted at you! But it reminded me I’d been planning to write this.
guachi
I don’t feel bad intruding into Cole’s Steve thread to mention the vote was happening but I appreciate a real thread or two even at this late hour. It’s really a big deal.
Ds need to sell the shit out of this for the next 12 months and remind voters daily who passed this. It’s especially sweet because this is something Trump completely failed at.
Geminid
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): There has been a lot of misinformation directed at this bill, painting it as a red bill for red people. One famous Congresswoman said it was “written by Exxon.” Others have called it “a climate arson bill.” So it’s not surprising you were misled. But you would do well to check your sources.
Jean
“We did something” is right! I say every day, “Pass the bills!” BBB will pass soon, I think, and the CBO scoring is the thing that lets Manchin vote, even if they shave $ of pieces of the bill. Dear God, let this be over.
RaflW
“$65 billion for making the power grid more robust and reliable”
Cruz & Cornyn voted against the bill, and the two of them plus Abbott etc all shit-talk Biden and Dems 24/7. Texas shouldn’t get a f**ing dime for their separate, rickety, privatized grid.
Piss off Teddy. Sip a Corona beer, John.
Major Major Major Major
@guachi: yeah it feels like it should be really easy to sell! That doesn’t mean we’ll manage to do it. Here’s hoping
Major Major Major Major
mvr
Feel like I’m watching everyone on Twitter (L & R) being naive about how this gets done. I have no inside knowledge but I have some confidence in N{‘s ability. The votes (including the negative votes) where all there and counted before it happened. I wish people (both L and R) would cut coalition partners some slack and now focus on making the costs on Manchin too high to vote no on the next round.
Edmund Dantes
@Major Major Major Major: and they were perfectly right to vote. They’ve already been burned by Manchin and his crew already. Until BBB is passed we are at the mercy of which side of the bed Manchin, Sinema, or any Dem senator wakes up tomorrow.
Not to mention the Ted Kennedy precedent happening while Manchin/Sinema dick around and drag it out further and further.
Plus we applaud Manchin all the time for his strategic votes to keep his constituents happy. No different here with the squad putting a marker down.
https://twitter.com/reppressley/status/1456849358930972673?s=21
We’ll see if Manchin/Sinema decides to honor their agreement this time or are we saying that Nancy/Biden/Schumer lied last time when they promised the two track plan?
sab
@Major Major Major Major: The Squad may have voted no in the end, but they hung in there with Pelosi long enough to get a major infrastructure bill passed, so I am grateful.
Omnes Omnibus
@sab: Pelosi had the votes in hand. I would bet that the Squad would have voted yes if their votes were needed. But people will still bitch.
Major Major Major Major
Major Major Major Major
@Omnes Omnibus: I’m not sure about all of them, but probably enough.
Served
This is a good bill and the squad is right to vote no on it. After Manchin played leadership like fools on the dual passage agreement, they are right to ask for better.
The BBB should be passed quickly as well.
Edmund Dantes
You have to let as much of the squad (and other progressives) to vote no in case Manchin does decide to tank the BBB cause you are forcing them to give up the only leverage they have over him.
It would be political malpractice to do otherwise. Nancy is more than capable enough to make that call.
HumboldtBlue
Let’s celebrate with Bach!
Joe Falco
@Major Major Major Major:
I agree, Philip. They should all be primaried…then defeated by Democrats in the general election. That’ll sure show them!
JaySinWa
@Major Major Major Major: Interesting that Klein says nothing about the 18? Republican Senators that queued this bill up in his current diatribe.
SectionH
@Craig: Oh can she count…
@Omnes Omnibus: ya think? I remember when she needed the perfectly good Dem rep’s vote in KY-06 to get the ACA passed while the seat was being gerrymandered out from under him likey anyway. But he threw himself on the sword and voted Yes. And yeah, he lost the next time.
Major Major Major Major
@JaySinWa: maybe he thinks it was a bigger deal this time around because it’s a major political win for Biden, when he really really needs one?
JaySinWa
@Major Major Major Major: I just dug up his article after the Senate bill passed. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/after-infrastructure-surrender-republicans-deserve-to-lose/
Not quite the fire and brimstone of the House call out, but he names names. He seems to have a short memory of who he labels an enemy given he didn’t refer back to them. This was a bigger deal in that it got the bill past a filibuster with more defectors in a smaller group.
billcinsd
Are these amounts sufficient to make a significant dent in the problem? I mean $543 billion was estimated to be enough to fix US roads and bridges in January 2020, so with the likely extra costs incurred over nearly 2 years, it seems insufficient to the problem. I realize that caring more about the costs than the benefits or the size of the problem is the fiscal moderate way, but they have been getting their way for over 40 years and have generally made things worse. I guess with the half price BBBA, it might add up to adequate, but it isn’t clear the BBBA will pass the Senate.
https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/jan/06/our-roads-bridges-and-dams-cost-infrastructure/
JaySinWa
@JaySinWa: Republicans in disarray would be one take.
Biden gets bipartisan bill would be as honest as any other “bipartisan” label. But the move to label the passage as a Democratic party defeat is pretty strong.
?BillinGlendaleCA
As far as Manchin goes, there’s still the guy in the big White House who has a pen that he can put back in his pocket to deal with Joe.
Major Major Major Major
@JaySinWa: good find! I really would guess it’s timing.
Major Major Major Major
@billcinsd: it would go a lot further if we could get our damn costs under control ? we overpay so badly for transit infrastructure.
prostratedragon
Yay!!
This already had me in a good mood:
NotMax
$0 for taco trucks on every corner.
// :)
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: Not only do we overpay, it takes a long time to complete anything. We have a transit line here in LA that was supposed to open in 2019, still not open.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: and we have a tendency to overcomplicate things. So many projects could just be a bus lane. Like the HSR from SF to LA.
I’m off to bed y’all!
opiejeanne
@Edmund Dantes: I don’t understand how that works, how allowing the squad to vote “no” gives them leverage over Manchin. Can someone explain this to me?
guachi
@opiejeanne: i don’t get it. Voting ‘no’ gives an excuse for Manchin to vote ‘no’.
They didn’t support his priorities. Why should he support theirs?
100% D vote for BIF gives leverage for a 100% D vote for BBB.
JWR
Oh goody! Colbert’s live again. (PDT)
Also, go Dems!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: It’s 400 miles from LA to SF, a bus lane is not a viable alternative at that distance. Folk would either drive or fly. HSR is the only alternative to air travel that makes any sense at that distance.
NotMax
@HumboldtBlue
Or Kraftwerk.
;)
Edmund Dantes
@opiejeanne: it’s not about leverage over Manchin at this point. It’s about them being able to message effectively about Manchin ducking them over and not falling for it if it happens.
It’s better than voting for it and then having Manchin duck them over.
NotMax
@BillinGlendaleCA
There’s buses and then there’s buses.
Also too.
:)
NotMax
Site is more balky right now than a barefoot riverdancer on a bed of nails.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@NotMax: The second one runs on rails, more like, ah, a TRAIN.
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Astute of AOC to vote against the bill, that way the “liberal” media can’t use her vote to goad Manchin.
SectionH
@opiejeanne: Part One. Joe gets to sign a bill that starts doing stuff. THAT’S THE POINT, FFS. He (we, at least I say “we”) needed to pass something. The media’s gonna try to skim past it as much as they can, but they can’t claim we can’t get something passed. Which will actually help the country.
In terms of your question about how allowing some Dems to vote No, my take is: there are US House districts where the rep is ok in their district, but district is an outlier to the general ideas of the party they belong to. Or in current terms, there are even still a few Republicans whose districts elected them and might re-elect them for voting Yes on something like… 77% of the country approves of completely… and similarly for various reasons, some Democrats whose districts might be so unhappy with having a compromise bill that they want to make a political statement because the bill isn’t perfect.
The idea is simple. Herding the actual critters (I won’t insult cats by comparing them to Congresscritters) when need those kind of trade-off votes is so much harder.
NotMax
@BillinGlendaleCA
Simply for the “Holy Cow!” factor, actual biodiesel giganti-buses in service for years now in Curitiba, Brazil.
;)
NotMax
Whoops. Linky fixy.
@BillinGlendaleCA
Simply for the “Holy Cow!” factor, actual biodiesel giganti-buses in service for years now in Curitiba, Brazil.
;)
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Philip Klein is one of the idiot conservatives Chris Hayes likes to portray as reasonable.
NotMax
@David The Establishment Koch
Chris Hayes has more blind spots than an armored car.
Yutsano
This is a Big Biden Deal. Full stop. The Democrats have something to tout and the Republicans will lie about the good things in this bill.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@NotMax: I’m not sure that helps with the basic goal of the HSR project, to reduce air travel between the Bay Area and LA.
SectionH
@?BillinGlendaleCA: that’s the point innit? HSR here is competing with the airlines. And it’s meant to take the intra-state pressure off of our airports. Among other positive things.
eta: Uh, I was replying to your earlier comment. Didn’t see just above until I’d posted this. But damn straight. And never mind the alternative to moar lanes on all the roads in between.
@NotMax: Um, good for them, but rapid transit in a metro area is not high speed travel over long distances, in spite that Big Bus movie they made back in the eocene. (I’m kinda of fond that movie though. “Shoulders?” “No, that’s where he drives.”)
@Yutsano: Thank you.
Baud
Wow. Woke up to some good news. Nice. Time to sell this thing, and pass the rest.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
Glad to see Jayapal not on that list.
NotMax
@SectionH
Jeeze, never hinted at it being an alternative to long distance rail or air, merely thought it a cool picture.
Some more on the Bus Rapid Transit system in Curitiba, which has been operating and expanding for decades. And a somewhat drier read.
eclare
Oh no, eight dead and multiple injured after the crowd rushed the stage at a concert in Houston.
Yutsano
@Baud: I’m almost certain Jayapal helped count the votes for Nancy. So she could give her just enough with the Republicans to keep the bill from failing. Something tells me she’d make a great whip in the future.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: No, no, no, Baud. We’re Democrats, we’re supposed to say we’re all doomed and everything is lost and talk about emigrating to another country.
SectionH
@NotMax: You didn’t. My bad. That was M4 at #34, but when I got around to posting, I lumped that comment with your first link to the Curitiba bus info. Sorry about that. I dunno why, but was distracted and edgy all day. I will definitely check your new links in the morning.
Baud
@Yutsano:
Exactly. Protest votes are fun, but they aren’t the path to leadership im a coalition.
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Baud! 20XX!: He’ll pay for your bus ticket to Canada!
satby
@Baud: Nice to wake up to good news and some commentary about it for a change! It’s almost like people might enjoy discussing current events….
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you
And the world’s alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day
… lovely day, lovely day, lovely day
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Baud
@satby:
The morning thread should be more joyous than usual.
Looking forward to the CBO report on BBB and finally telling Manchin that he’s out of excuses. One way or the other, it’s time to move on.
Starfish
@NotMax: This is very disappointing, and the squad was correct in voting “No” on a bill that does not provide a taco truck on every corner.
Baud
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:
Let’s go, Brandon!
satby
@Baud: Be joyous on my behalf plz! I’ll be working ?????
Starfish
@Baud: I didn’t realize you were a big Lauren Boebert fan.
eclare
@Baud: Totally agree. This gives Joe a win, that is a good thing.
raven
At least 8 dead in a Huston Travis Scott concert.
eclare
@raven: I know, tragic.
raven
@eclare: Man, I remember when 11 people died at a Who concert in 1979.
eclare
@raven: I do too. I know ticket rules were changed after that for indoor concerts…
PsiFighter37
Good grief. All it took was sacrificing Virginia for Democrats to think of this compromise? It seems like we only get our shit together when we endure electoral consequences. Same thing goes for Scott Brown winning in 2010.
Baud
@PsiFighter37:
Not sure it could have happened sooner. The only reason it’s happening now is that we’re close on the terms of the BBB bill and there’s not much left except for Manchin to make his decision.
The Thin Black Duke
In Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn, when an unhappy George Clooney is bitching about his crew’s big score, Harvey Keitel says to him, “Are you such an asshole that you’re going to piss on your victory? You won. Enjoy it.” Good advice to follow, I think. Biden won. Let’s try and enjoy it for a while.
Dorothy A. Winsor
We’ll see whether the BBB ever passes, ie how trustworthy (and Democratic) are some D senators who wanted infrastructure but none of that stuff like family leave are
Starfish
@raven: A 10yo was injured at that concert?!
Chris Johnson
@Baud: We’ll see whether this is happening BECAUSE Manchin made his decision. One condition might have been ‘I have to vote oppositely from The Squad: if I have to vote for this stuff, they have to vote against the infrastructure bill to help me make the case that the Left hates it because I got so much progressive stuff taken out of it’.
More likely it’s just legit frustration with it that Pelosi rightly allows so long as it still passes, but it does make it look better for Manchin if it can be painted as ‘against’ the Squad.
randy khan
@Major Major Major Major:
This makes me more inclined to think it’s a good thing.
PsiFighter37
FWIW I think the Squad votes are terrible optically. But I don’t pretend to traffic in their rationalizations for doing things.
Mokum
@HumboldtBlue: I have been to that church! Beautiful joyful music, too.
Another Scott
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Hyperloop!!1ONE
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@raven: A grad school chum was there. He said suddenly he moved forward something like 10 feet without volition, and he was on the periphery. It was terrifying.
Crushes like that should never happen any more.
:-(
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it’s a super spreader event, too.
:-(
Cheers,
Scott.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Major Major Major Major: Apparently Jordon was tweeting that Pelosi didn’t have the votes right before the vote so McCarthy and his team screwed up their own count.
mvr
@Baud:
Biden apparently called her mother.
And, FWIW, Jayapal comes out of this looking really good throughout the process.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: at least a bus lane would actually get built (and cost less than a hundred billion dollars). And six hours is nothing to sneeze at, when there’s no security to wait for, planing/deplaning etc. Liberals are allergic to buses. It’s dumb. I’d be very surprised if the HSR project comes online this decade. By the current plan you’ll be able to take it from Merced to Bakersfield by 2029 at a whopping 190mph, 20 years after they started. What a great use of our resources!
opiejeanne
@HumboldtBlue: Using historically correct instruments and bows!