简体中文
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that a deal has been reached with a bipartisan group of senators to rebuild the country's infrastructure.
The president sat down with the senators earlier in the day to cap weeks of tense negotiations on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and Republicans have squared off over the size and scope of the funding.
The $1.2 trillion framework includes $579 billion in new spending on major investments in the U.S. power grid, broadband internet services and passenger and freight rail.
The eight-year proposal contains $109 billion for roads, bridges and major projects; $73 billion for power infrastructure; $66 billion for passenger and freight rail; $65 billion for broadband access; $49 billion for public transit; and $25 billion for airports, according to a White House statement.
The agreement boosted industrial companies like Caterpillar, which rose 2.6 percent, United States Steel, which gained 3.4 percent, and aluminum company Alcoa, which won 3.7 percent.
However, negotiations on infrastructure are not over as Biden's Democratic party is pressing for significant spending on a "human infrastructure" package expected to be considered in parallel legislation.
Biden has proposed some $2 trillion in infrastructure spending over eight years, including funding for some of his priorities like climate change mitigation, child care, schools and social services.
Republicans firmly opposed any inclusion of such projects in the deal, saying only traditional infrastructure like roads, airports or broadband internet should be included.
But Democratic leaders are insisting that the "human infrastructure" projects be funded in a second track known as budget reconciliation, which can pass the 100-member Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes necessary to advance major legislation.
"We will not take up a bill in the House until the Senate passes a bipartisan bill and a reconciliation bill," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned earlier Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the first votes on the bipartisan bill should be held in July.
(CGTN)
