WASHINGTON (AP) — The vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package could be held “in a matter of days,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday. But first, s…
By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO WASHINGTON (AP) — The vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package could be held “in a matter of days,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday. But first, senators still need to finish writing the vast legislation. Schumer opened the rare Sunday session by saying that the text of the bill would be released “imminently.” To be called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, it is swelling to 2,700 pages. But as glitches were caught and changes made, the start-and-stop day was turning into an evening Senate session. Two of the negotiators said Sunday morning that action could come soon. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said on CNN, “We really are just about finished.” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., said on CNN that there will likely be “text today and by this evening, hopefully we can start the process.” Like Schumer, both said the bill could be finished this week. Senators and staff have been laboring behind the scenes for days to write what is certain to be a massive piece of legislation and a key part of President Joe Biden’s agenda. It calls for $550 billion in new spending over five years above projected federal levels, what could be one the more substantial expenditures on the nation’s roads, bridges, waterworks, broadband and the electric grid in years. To prod the work along, Schumer is keeping senators in over the weekend to finish drafting the bill so that senators can begin offering amendments.
