The passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by the Senate on Tuesday came after months of political wrangling and negotiation. …
The passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by the Senate on Tuesday came after months of political wrangling and negotiation. From its introduction to its final approval, the bill underwent several minor changes, like the deletion of certain words, the addition of new policies or programs, or the expansion of policies and programs already in the bill. As the Senate worked to write and improve the bill, Senators proposed amendments for a wide range of issues, some that went far beyond the original goal of maintaining infrastructure. In such a comprehensive bill, entire sections are bound to get lost in the 1,000+ page mountain of text. Many of the amendments proposed or passed were simply minor changes—improving appropriations for the Corps of Engineers, modifying provisions about cybersecurity, designating additional high priority corridors on the National Highway system—but some, whether they passed or not, stood out. In the text of the bill, one section mandates federal research on the crashworthiness of limousines. This section was amended by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to include the establishment of federal safety standards for limousines’ side impact protection, roof crush resistance, and airbag systems. The amendment was proposed on Aug.4 and passed 58–39 the same day. Another section of the bill reads: “Congress finds that… discrimination and related barriers continue to pose significant obstacles for minority- and women-owned businesses seeking to do business in Federally assisted surface transportation markets across the U.S. … [and that] race- and gender-neutral efforts alone are insufficient to address the problem.” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) sought to expand on the federal government’s response to these findings.
