Aug 11, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed the more than $1 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by a vote of 69 to 30. Early this morning, the Senate also passed the $3.5 trillion framework for Democrats’ social infrastructure bill.
The bipartisan package focuses on physical infrastructure and would inject $550 billion in new funding to repair roads, bridges, and waterways, as well as significantly increasing access to broadband internet in rural America. The total cost of the bill comes to nearly $1.2 trillion when traditional programs are reauthorized.
“USA Rice appreciates the bipartisan efforts of the Senate to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs. “These historic investments will provide much needed improvements throughout rural America that will greatly benefit the U.S. rice industry.”
The budget resolution, including instructions on how to draft the spending package, passed by Senate Democrats on a party-line vote of 50 to 49 now sets the stage for the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package that would focus on Democrats’ social agenda, including provisions for healthcare, climate, and education, without Republican support.
If the House, which is scheduled to cut its traditional month-long August recess short and return to Washington the week of August 23, passes an identical budget resolution, then Democrats can commence with the budget reconciliation process. This process would allow Senate Democrats to pass legislation with a simple majority rather than the usual 60 votes needed, essentially making the legislation filibuster-proof.
For agriculture, the budget resolution includes $135 billion in spending for measures, including: conservation, drought, and forestry programs to help reduce carbon emissions and prevent wildfires; rural development and rural co-op clean energy investments; agricultural climate research and research infrastructure; Civilian Climate Corps funding; child nutrition; and debt relief.
With an equally divided Senate and slim Democratic majority in the House, both of these packages, but particularly the social spending package, will likely face challenges from factions in both caucuses.