House Passes $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill, Putting Social Policy Bill on Hold

The US House of Representatives passed a $1 trillion bill on November 5 to rebuild the country’s aging public works system, fund new climate resilience initiatives, and expand access to high-speed internet service, giving final approval to a central plank of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda after a daylong drama that pitted moderate Democrats against progressives. For President Biden, the passage of the infrastructure bill fulfilled a marquee legislative goal that he had promised to deliver since the early days of his presidency: the largest single investment of federal resources into infrastructure projects in more than a decade. In a late-night vote that followed a day of near-death experiences for Biden’s agenda, the House passed the infrastructure measure on a 228-to-206 vote.

Included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill is a commitment of $42 billion to deploy broadband where it doesn't yet exist. Where broadband is available, it promises another $14.2 billion to create a permanent $30-a-month-subsidy program to help low-income Americans afford service. The bill offers an additional $2.75 billion for digital equity and inclusion efforts, which could end digital redlining, the practice of internet service providers avoiding lower-income areas where they don't think they'll make money. A vote for the Build Back Better Act was put back on hold, with a half-dozen moderate-to-conservative Democrats withholding their votes until a nonpartisan analysis could tally its price tag. Progressives accepted a written commitment from five centrist colleagues that they would back the social safety net and climate package in mid-November, as long as the numbers add up.