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u.s. news Diamars 3 augustus 2021

$1 trillion infrastructure debate finally opens in Senate

(AP) — Senate Majority Mitch McConnell of Ken- the U.S. better compete with internet and electric vehicle
Leader Chuck Schumer tucky, will play a key role in China and would make the charging stations.
sought to speed up con- the bill’s final outcome. So “economy more efficient,
sideration of a nearly $1 far, he has sided with those more productive” after years The spending is broadly
trillion bipartisan infra- voting to allow debate to pro- of struggle getting a public popular among lawmakers,
structure package Mon- ceed, but he has not signaled works bill off the ground. bringing long-delayed capital
day, promising that Dem- how he will ultimately vote. for big-ticket items that cities
ocrats would work with He described the bill Mon- “People have talked about and states can rarely afford on
Republicans to put to- day as a “good and important infrastructure in this city for- their own.
gether amendments. GOP jumping off point” for a ro- ever,” Portman said.
senators cautioned that bust, bipartisan amendment Paying for the package has
they needed time to digest process. He also warned Over the long weekend of been a challenge after sena-
the massive bill. Democrats against setting starts and stops, Schumer re- tors rejected ideas to raise to nudge the process along in
“any artificial timetable.” peatedly warned that he was revenue from a new gas tax the 50-50 Senate, where 60
Formally the Infrastructure prepared to keep lawmakers or other streams. Instead, it is votes are needed to overcome
Investment and Jobs Act, the “Infrastructure is exactly the in Washington for as long being financed from funding a filibuster and advance leg-
proposal clocked in at some kind of subject that Congress as it took to complete votes sources that might not pass islation.
2,700 pages late Sunday af- should be able to address on both the bipartisan infra- muster with deficit hawks,
ter a hurry-up-and-wait rare across the aisle,” McConnell structure plan and a budget including repurposing some Whether the number of Re-
weekend session. The final said. blueprint that would allow $205 billion in untapped publican senators willing to
product was not intended the Senate to begin work lat- COVID-19 relief aid, as well pass the bill grows or shrinks
to stray from the broad out- Senators and staff labored er this year on a massive, $3.5 as unemployment assistance in the days ahead will deter-
line a bipartisan group of behind the scenes for days to trillion social, health and en- that was turned back by some mine if the president’s signa-
senators had negotiated for write the massive bill. It was vironmental bill. states and relying on project- ture issue can make it across
weeks with the White House. supposed to be ready Friday, ed future economic growth. the finish line.
Schumer has said a final vote but by Sunday, even more Republicans counter that
could be held “in a matter of glitches were caught and they just had a chance to be- Some Republicans are wary The bipartisan bill still faces
days.” changes made. gin fully reviewing the bill of another large spending bill a rough road in the House,
late Sunday. after a series of COVID relief where progressive lawmakers
“Let’s start voting on amend- Late Sunday, most of the 10 measures have boosted the want a more robust package
ments,” Schumer said as the senators involved in the bi- “We shouldn’t sacrifice ad- national debt. but may have to settle for this
Senate opened for business partisan effort rose on the equate time on this bill one to keep Biden’s infra-
on Monday. “The longer it Senate floor to mark the un- merely because the Demo- “I’ve got real concerns with structure plans on track.
takes to finish the bill, the veiling of the text. cratic leader would like to this bill,” said Sen. Mike Lee,
longer we will be here.” spend next week jamming a R-Utah. The outcome with the bi-
“We know that this has been a 100% partisan piece of leg- partisan effort will set the
A key part of President Joe long and sometimes difficult islation through the United Bipartisan support from Re- stage for the next debate over
Biden’s agenda, the biparti- process, but we are proud States Senate,” said Sen. John publican and Democratic Biden’s much more ambi-
san bill is the first phase of this evening to announce this Thune of South Dakota. senators pushed the process tious $3.5 trillion package,
the president’s infrastructure legislation,” said Sen. Kyrsten along, and Schumer wanted a strictly partisan pursuit of
plan. It calls for $550 billion Sinema, D-Ariz., a lead ne- Among the major new invest- the voting to be wrapped up far-reaching programs and
in new spending over five gotiator. The bill showed “we ments, the bipartisan package before senators left for their services including child care,
years above projected fed- can put aside our own politi- is expected to provide $110 August recess. tax breaks and health care
eral levels — one of the most cal differences for the good of billion for roads and bridges, that touch almost every cor-
substantial expenditures on the country,” she said. $39 billion for public tran- Last week, 17 GOP senators ner of American life. Repub-
the nation’s roads, bridges, sit and $66 billion for rail. joined all Democrats in vot- licans strongly oppose that
waterworks, broadband and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, There’s also to be $55 billion ing to start work on the bill. bill, which would require a
the electric grid in years. a Republican negotiator, for water and wastewater in- That support largely held, simple majority for passage.
framed the legislation as frastructure as well as billions with McConnell voting yes Final votes on that measure
The Republican leader, Sen. something that would help for airports, ports, broadband in another procedural vote are not expected until fall.

Hearing begins for lawmaker who shared rape accuser's name

(AP) — An Idaho lawmaker ac- social media posts — and then islative body.” said the ethics investigation was little
cused of violating ethics rules by allegedly misleading lawmakers more than an unfair attack by politi-
publicizing the name of an al- about her actions — said in an The lawmaker accused of raping the cal opponents and said she was exer-
leged rape victim in disparaging ethics hearing Monday that she intern, Republican Aaron von Eh- cising her constitutionally protected
did nothing wrong and claimed linger, resigned earlier this year after right to free speech by sharing the
the allegations against her were the ethics committee recommended link that revealed the intern’s identity.
politically motivated. he be removed from the Statehouse.
Von Ehlinger has denied all wrong- Giddings also said she believed the
Republican Rep. Priscilla Giddings doing. The rape allegation is under outcome of the hearing had been pre-
became the subject of two ethics investigation by police. determined and left the hearing room
complaints by about two dozen law- after making her statement while the
makers after she publicized the rape When Giddings entered the eth- panel continued its work, saying she
accuser’s name, photo and personal ics hearing on Monday, she was met would return only if required by the
details about her life in April by shar- with applause, shouts of support and ethics panel.
ing links to an far-right news article a standing ovation by some support-
on social media and in a newsletter to ers in the audience — which includ- Rep. Brooke Green, a Democrat and
constituents. ed some militia members and others one of the bipartisan group of law-
with far-right political activist groups. makers that signed onto an ethics
The Legislature’s ethics committee Some wore shirts with messages of compliant, said that the other two
scheduled the public hearing after support, including “victims for Pris- dozen lawmakers who also signed the
finding probable cause that Giddings cilla,” and “Stand with Priscilla, fight- complaint were approached individu-
engaged in “conduct unbecoming a ing for our freedom.” ally and not told who else was signing
representative, which is detrimental to ensure that political motivations
to the integrity of the House as a leg- In her opening statement, Giddings didn’t play a part.