If you have turned on the news, you’ve heard that the U.S. Senate is working on a massive infrastructure bill. It’s a complicated topic so the Motorcycle Riders Foundation thought you might like a cheat sheet.

As you know, every 5 years Congress is required to pass a “Highway Bill” to reauthorize many of the programs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The current law expires on September 30, 2021, and without a new bill or an extension, countless transportation projects will run out of money.

In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of the “Highway Bill,” called the INVEST ACT. The INVEST ACT has nearly $550 billion budgeted for infrastructure projects. The House passed a similar bill in 2020 that died in the Senate, forcing a 1-year extension of highway funding programs, leading to the current 2021 deadline.

The Senate, late Sunday night, motivated by President Biden’s call for massive infrastructure spending, released a 2,702 page “Highway Bill” negotiated by a group of 20 bipartisan senators.  This is a “Highway Bill” on steroids, as it almost doubles the amount of money the House has authorized, with a price tag in the $1 TRILLION range. After hours of debate the Senate will likely pass their version of a “Highway Bill” in the next two weeks. Since both chambers of Congress must agree to a bill, next comes the game of chicken…

Members of the House were not included in the negotiations surrounding the Senate bill and are angry that in the past two years they have passed two separate highway bills while the Senate has sat on their hands. Add to that a desire by the far-left progressive wing of the House to pass 3.5 trillion in “Human Infrastructure” under something called a reconciliation bill and you have a mess of epic proportions. Left wing members of the House have threatened to hold the “Highway Bill” hostage until they get a vote on a reconciliation bill that will include a laundry list of progressive priorities.  

Things are getting messy in D.C. There are three separate battles currently being waged. One battle is in the Senate, where conservative Republicans are opposed to efforts by moderates to pass the $1 trillion infrastructure deal, giving President Biden a victory. The second battle in the House, where progressive Democrats are unhappy with a highway bill that was negotiated without their input but with the input of Republican Senators. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is a battle between the House and the Senate about who should be driving the agenda and who’s priorities should take center stage.

One thing seems certain, the September 30th deadline will play a huge factor. All the members of the House left D.C. for their August recess last week and will not return until September. So regardless of what the Senate does, the House will not be around to act until after Labor Day. This fall is shaping up to be a confrontation not only between Republicans and Democrats but also between U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives.  Stayed tuned!