House Passes $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Package, Senate Unlikely to Act

The House of Representatives recently passed a massive $1.5 Trillion, 10-year infrastructure bill championed by Democrats with significant Republican opposition. The bill is highly unlikely to be taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has called the bill a “multithousand page cousin of the Green New Deal, masquerading as a highway bill.” Senate Republicans have instead supported a much smaller, bipartisan infrastructure plan that unanimously advanced through committee a year ago. Despite clear partisanship on the issue making the House bill unlikely to move forward, the bill shows where House Democrats are placing their innovation priorities, including increasing funding for smart manufacturing, transportation research, carbon capture, climate change, and autonomous vehicles.
 
The bill also includes:
 

• $500 billion for highways, bridges, roads, and rail
• $25 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to provide grants for clean drinking water systems
• $40 billion for new wastewater infrastructure funding
• $70 billion for grid modernization, including electric vehicle charging and Smart Community infrastructure
• Extension of the 30 percent Investment Tax Credit for solar projects until 2025 (with a gradual reduction to 10 percent by 2028).
• Extension of the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy projects through 2025
• Extension of the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture and sequestration projects
• $250 million annually for 5 years for grants to improve natural gas distribution infrastructure

The bill was originally called the “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act” or “INVEST in America Act,” but on June 22 Democrats released an expanded version of the bill that is being called the “Moving Forward Act.
 
ASME will continue to report on any advancements related to comprehensive infrastructure package.