After months of negotiations with legislators on both sides of the aisle, President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday.
Biden said at the signing ceremony at the White House: “My message to the American people is: If the United States acts again, your lives will become better.”
The bill aims to upgrade the country’s roads, bridges, transportation, broadband and public utilities within the next five years. The new legislation will invest 110 billion U.S. dollars on roads and bridges, 66 billion U.S. dollars for freight and passenger railways, 65 billion U.S. dollars for broadband expansion, 55 billion U.S. dollars for upgrading water systems, 39 billion U.S. dollars for public transportation, and 250 billion U.S. dollars for public transportation. 100 million U.S. dollars goes to the airport.
Biden celebrated this historic achievement with lawmakers from both parties.
“For a long time, we have been talking about having the best economy in the world. We have discussed using the best and safest roads, railways, ports, and airports to maintain America’s leadership in the world. In Washington, we heard Countless expert speeches, promises and white papers,” Biden said.
Although the bill failed to reach Biden’s original $2.3 trillion proposal, he adopted a celebratory tone in his speech.
“But today, we are finally done. My message to the American people is: America will act again. Your life will get better,” Biden said.
President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill at the White House ceremony. https://t.co/GhRMYotwUb pic.twitter.com/ZzG0rvIUTx
— The Hill (@thehill) November 15, 2021
This is official, guys: I have signed a bipartisan infrastructure agreement to become law.
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 15, 2021
President Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Monday, which is the most important step for a generation to upgrade national roads, ports, railways, pipelines, power lines, broadband cables, etc. https://t.co/w2NJk4DZMS pic.twitter.com/rsjj6et00q
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 15, 2021
Biden pointed out that the bill will “replace 100% of national lead pipes and service lines”, which will improve clean drinking water.
The new law will make high-speed internet ubiquitous and “make the most significant investment in roads and bridges in 70 years, the most significant investment in passenger railways in the past 50 years, and the largest investment in public transportation in history,” Biden is famous.
Biden said that ports and airports will be modernized to make it easier for the company to bring goods to the market and reduce supply chain bottlenecks that disrupt the economy.
According to S&P Global, the bipartisan bill may create more than 800,000 jobs by 2030.
“This law is a blue-collar blueprint for rebuilding the United States. It will not leave anyone behind. Our infrastructure was once rated as the best in the world, and now we are ranked 13th in the world according to the World Economic Forum. It is about to change, and things will change dramatically,” Biden said.
Congressional Democrats plan to vote this week on the $1.85 trillion social expenditure bill, which will include tax credits for children, universal preschool education, expansion of health insurance to cover hearings, protection of undocumented immigrants, funding of affordable housing, and response climate change.
