US Congress passes Joe Biden’s US$1 trillion infrastructure bill

Lawmakers rubber-stamped the Senate-passed US$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill on the House floor by a comfortable 228 votes to 206

The move marks a legacy-making achievement for Biden, amid plunging approval ratings and an upset for the Democrats in Virginia’s gubernatorial election

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Subway trains run over the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City. Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Published: 12:28pm, 6 Nov 2021Updated: 9:16pm, 6 Nov 2021

US Democrats on Friday rescued President Joe Biden’s faltering domestic agenda, passing a giant infrastructure package that is one of the pillars of his US$3 trillion economic vision after rebel moderates had earlier blocked a vote on his social welfare expansion.

Despite hours of cajoling lawmakers, party leaders had risked seeing Biden’s two-pronged legislative strategy collapse as they failed to unite the party’s feuding progressive and moderate factions.

But the breakthrough came as lawmakers rubber-stamped the Senate-passed US$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill on the House floor by a comfortable 228 votes to 206.

Democrats celebrate on the House floor late on Friday after the approval of the US$1 trillion package. Photo: House Television via AP

The passage of the infrastructure spending marks a legacy-making achievement for Biden, amid plunging personal approval ratings and a humiliating upset defeat for his Democratic Party in the Virginia gubernatorial election.

His spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the success was “proof that delivering for the American people is worth all the painful sausage making.”

“Clean drinking water for kids, broadband access, electric vehicles, biggest investment in public transit. It’s happening. And more to come,” she tweeted.