The $1.5 trillion infrastructure package that could deliver benefits for truck drivers has been jeopardized by Washington, D.C., gridlock and political infighting.
The 2,700-page bill could stave off increased liability insurance premiums because the U.S. Senate version maintains the $750,000 minimum liability threshold. However, the House version seeks to raise that to $2 million. The bipartisan legislation moves forward efforts to attract a younger workforce by providing adults 18-21 a pathway to interstate trucking occupations.
Upwards of $550 million of the traditional infrastructure package would address declining roads and bridges, as well as vulnerable electric grids, rail systems, and the expansion of broadband internet. A reported 617,000 U.S. bridges are more than a half-century old, and 46,000 suffer structural deficiencies. And more than 4 million miles of highways and roads are considered in mediocre to poor condition. This spending comes when states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut are leveling truck-only tolls and fees to fund repairs of their ailing roads and bridges. Unfortunately, strife within the Democratic Party recently derailed a vote to send the spending bill to the White House.
“Rebuilding our crumbling physical infrastructure — roads, bridges, water systems — is important. Rebuilding our crumbling human infrastructure — health care, education, climate change — is more important,” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders reportedly tweeted. “No infrastructure bill without the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.”
Progressive Democrats leveraged the fact their party holds only a slim majority in the House and a 50-50 split in the Senate, with Vice Pres. Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote. The far-left politicians pulled an 11th-hour coup by refusing to pass the more standard infrastructure spending unless a $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” was loosely attached. The Progressive wing, led by Sen. Sanders, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) effectively blocked what many believed would be the final passage of the smaller bill. But demands to politically join the packages at the hip upended a scheduled Sept. 30 vote.
Washington, D.C., insiders indicate the White House is on board with raising taxes to go on what amounts to a $5 trillion spending spree. Democrats U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona appear to be the only obstacle preventing passage of perhaps the largest spending package in the nation’s history. Adding insult to injury, the Democrat-held White House has gone the offensive against members of its own party to coerce a yes vote. Despite pressure from within the party’s ranks, Sens. Manchin and Sinema held firm to their belief in fiscal responsibility.
“Every Member of Congress has a solemn duty to vote for what they believe is best for the country and the American people, not their party,” Sen. Manchin reportedly stated. “Respectfully, as I have said for months, I can’t support $3.5 trillion more in spending when we have already spent $5.4 trillion since last March. At some point, all of us, regardless of party, must ask the simple question — how much is enough?”
Although moderate Democrats and Republicans have largely embraced the more traditional spending approach to infrastructure, Progressives forced Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to reschedule the vote until Oct. 31 — Halloween.
Sources: trucker.com, ttnews.com, foxnews.com
I travel throughout the country weekly, I honestly don’t see where everybody continues to use fear to justify the reckless spending of taxpayers money, year after year after year. If this infrastructure package is so important in order to repair roads and bridges or they won’t be repaired. How is it multiple states have continuously opened new road and bridge projects all year. The one item politicians use road construction justification for, is to place a sign on display and say, look what your money is accomplishing. Wake Up American and do your the research foryourself
It’s just all about politicians lining their own pockets with tax payer money and calling it something else.
Whatever they’ve got to do to get that money they will.
That’s all!
Those projects you see being worked on were approved years ago. It takes up to 5 years just for an environmental impact study before they even work on something.
Id rather travel on roads of dirt then give those COMMUNIST DEMOCRATS ANYTHING !.
DEMOCRATS LIE CHEAT STEAL AND BARE FALSE WITNESS.
The unfortunate part of this plan is only about 20 to 25% of it is for roads and bridges. We in western Illinois have US. highways that have been in disrepair for better than 15 years. I have been on interstate roads that have you use the left lane because the right lane is dangerous to drive on. If you’re going to have 18 to 21 year olds on the interstate of course you will need higher liability rates(if it isn’t bad enough now with phone use and watching movies as one drives down the road!).
If you believe the money will be going to new roads and bridges.
I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you.
Pure theater typical lying conniving crooked politicians selling nothing but lies and deceit.
Its another nail in the death of the middle class and the dollar.
The problem is the amount of PORK in the Bill.
The dishonest politicians put money in there for their special interest groups and donors. There’s more junk in the Bill than actual road and bridge work.
10 million for the Kennedy Center for Liberal Arts,for example.
It seems most responses are political in itself. You can blame whoever but the reality is the last Republican administration had no plan nor proposed one. Choosing to directly give taxpayers $$’s to the wealthiest in this country via tax cuts. So quit politicizing, yes they all suck in some fashion but doing nothing does this nation no good. Invest in our future by putting people to work on these plans all while contributing to our economy. Quit supporting or voting for those that go against your best interest. I guarantee no one this truckers report page gained from the tax cuts.