The Senate wrapped up for recess on Saturday, leaving the $1 trillion infrastructure bill in limbo. The last session didn’t make any visible progress to the legislative package. However, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer promised to get work done.
Accordingly, the Senate plans to reconvene this Sunday. Senators and their staff were likewise working behind the scenes over the past few days, trying to write the massive legislation. Earlier, a draft of the legislation ballooned to over 2,500 pages.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asks senators to work on weekends to complete the massive legislation
In order to push the legislation, Schumer asked the senators to stay in a weekend session. The Senate Majority leader is also urging the authors of the infrastructure bill to complete the draft of the bill so legislators can start submitting amendments.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) praised the staff, aides, and police working in the Capitol as the Senate remains open on a rare Sunday session on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. pic.twitter.com/AtKRCkVCF4
— Forbes (@Forbes) August 1, 2021
On the other hand, a few senators pushed to have the bill ready to be reviewed on Friday or Saturday. However, after the Saturday session, the bill was still not ready for review. It wasn’t even filed when the floor was closed 11 hours later.
On Saturday evening, Schumer stated that the lawmakers need more time. He added that he is ready to give them time. Furthermore, Schumer stated that he understands the difficulty of tackling expensive and massive projects.
However, Schumer promised that he is ready to keep lawmakers in the Capitol for as long as possible to finish both a budget blueprint of a massive $3.5 trillion bill and his infrastructure plan. Schumer said the longer it takes for them to finish the legislation, the longer they will be there to get the job done.
Schumer has high hopes they will complete it before August’s recess as he urged senators to work on weekends to complete the amendments
The draft of the bill had 2,500 pages when it was introduced and it calls for $550 billion spendings over the course of five years.
Included in the major spending are $110 billion for bridges and roads, $66 billion for railroad, and $55 billion for wastewater infrastructure and water; it also entails $39 billion for public transit and billions of dollars for ports, airports, broadband internet and charging stations for electric vehicles.
JUST IN: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urges bipartisan group to finish work on infrastructure bill in rare Saturday session:
"The longer it takes to finish, the longer we'll be here." pic.twitter.com/FlvrEC58vk
— Forbes (@Forbes) July 31, 2021
The Senate Majority Leader wanted the voting to be completed before the Senate takse their recess this August. Schumer added that once the text of the legislation is completed, he will review the draft and offer it as a substitute to the bill that is presently at the chamber. After that, senators will start deliberating on the amendments.
On Friday night, Schumer added that they might have to work even on weekends to complete several amendments. Schumer then mentioned that he believes they can finish the bipartisan bill in a few days with the cooperation of their Republican colleagues.
