House passes bipartisan infrastructure bill

President Biden said he felt confident that he will have enough votes to pass the second part of his economic agenda, the package that would expand the social safety net.

Speaking to reporters Saturday from the State Dining Room, Biden would not say what assurances he’s received from moderate democrats in the House and Senate, declining to say who has committed to voting for the $1.9 trillion package when and if it comes up for a vote.

Biden, during his victory lap celebrating the passage of his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, took a swing at reporters who doubted his ability to get his agenda done when asked whether the spending bill is “doomed” because he cannot count on the same Republican votes he received for the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

When asked later when he thought the bill would be passed, a jubilant Biden joked, “I don't want to make your job easier. I don't want to, I know the answer exactly when it's going to be passed.”

Earlier, Biden reiterated that he expects the second part of his economic agenda, the Build Back Better social safety net package, to pass both chambers of Congress the week of Nov. 15, after the House moved forward on a procedural rule on that portion of his agenda.

President Biden said he expects Americans will begin to see the effects of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the next two to three months, but cautioned the larger impact from the massive $1.2 trillion package will be felt over a longer period of time, not in the coming months.

“It is a bill that's paid out over a number of years … it's going to be a provision -- a bill that is going to have a profound impact over time,” he continued, warning he can’t be precise with when certain impacts will be felt.

The President said that he has faith in the American people that if the government comes together to deliver for them, even in a highly partisan time, Americans will step up.

“I really have faith in the American people. I know we're divided, I know how mean it can get, and I know there are extremes on both ends that make it more difficult than it's been in a long, long time. But I'm convinced if we let the American people know that we're committed to enhancing their ability to make their way, we'll all do better,” the President said.

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a longtime climate hawk in the Senate, told COP26 attendees he’s confident Congress will pass President Biden’s climate and economic bill – fulfilling Biden’s commitment to slash greenhouse gases.

Some context: Markey spoke at COP26 hours after the US House passed Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending it to the president’s desk.

But Congress still hasn’t passed Biden’s remaining $1.75 trillion climate and economic bill, and a vote on that will likely be delayed until before Thanksgiving. House progressive lawmakers said they had secured a commitment from moderates they would vote for the major climate and economic legislation, but some climate advocates are uneasy.

Ramon Cruz, the president of the Sierra Club, told Markey at Saturday’s COP26 event that the House vote on the infrastructure bill was not “ideal” from his point of view.

“The events of last night in the US, unfortunately, are not ideal for us,” Cruz said. “It had been the intent of the Progressive Caucus members to go together hand in hand with the legislation that is really transformational – that changes people’s lives.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Saturday that the Biden administration was given part one of its “Big Deal” when Congress approved the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

“I think part two of that Big Deal has a ton of momentum if only because the American people overwhelmingly support just about everything that's in it,” the secretary added, referring to Democrats’ sweeping $1.9 trillion economic package.

President Biden touted a major legislative victory on Saturday, calling the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill “a monumental step forward as a nation.” 

“We did something that's long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington but never actually been done. A House of Representatives passed an infrastructure investment and jobs act. That's a fancy way of saying a bipartisan infrastructure bill. A once-in-a-generation investment that will create millions of jobs, modernize our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our broadband, all range of things,” he continued, saying the investments will put the country on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century. 

What's next: Biden said he won’t be signing the bill into law this weekend but will do so “soon,” when he can host members of Congress from both parties at the White House for a formal signing ceremony 

The President touched on the “sausage-making” process that is passing major legislation, thanking House Democratic leadership and Democrats and Republicans who worked together to pass the infrastructure bill, noting the bipartisan nature of its passage, something increasingly rare in Washington these days.

“I want to quickly thank members of the House who worked so hard to get some of this done. Speaker Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Jim Clyburn. Progressive leaders, moderate leaders, Democrats, Republicans, they in fact worked together,” he said. 

President Joe Biden on Saturday celebrated the passage of his bipartisan infrastructure bill, saying the $1.2 trillion package will be a “blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America.”

The President said he plans to hold a formal signing ceremony for the bill in the coming days.

President Biden opened his remarks Saturday morning on the bipartisan infrastructure bill with a moment of levity.

"We did something that's long overdue, that's long been talked about in Washington, but never has actually been done," Biden added.

President Biden praised the passage of the infrastructure bill Friday night in the House during remarks from the White House Saturday morning.

Biden added: "And it puts us on the path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we faced with China and other large countries and the rest of the world. It's going to create more jobs, good-paying jobs, union jobs that can't be outsourced and they're going to transform our transportation system with the most significant investments in passenger rail, the most significant investment in 50 years, in roads and bridges, the most significant investment in 70 years, and more investment in public transit than we've ever, ever made, period."

President Biden will be speaking shortly following the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, a cornerstone of his domestic agenda.