President Joe Biden on Monday enacted the bill that creates the largest infrastructure plan in the United States in more than half a century, in a rare bipartisan achievement at the White House.
The $1.2 trillion (BRL 6.5 trillion) project will help repair bridges and roads, change water pumps, build a charging network for electric vehicles and expand internet broadband.
“We’ve heard countless speeches … but today we finally made it,” Biden told hundreds of guests, including members of the Republican opposition, at the White House.
Biden said the bill’s passage showed that, “although cynics, Democrats and Republicans can band together and produce results.”
After months of deadlock within the Democratic Party, the bill had passed the US Congress on November 5th. There were 228 votes in favor and 206 against, with 13 Republicans voting in favor of the measure and 6 Democrats, against.
According to a Folha report, this is Biden’s main achievement in months, after a series of setbacks, such as the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, which undermined his popularity. The bet is that the new investments will heat up the economy, generate thousands of jobs and lead the country to advance in the transition towards a less polluting economy.
The Democrat’s relief was not complete, however, as another important part of his platform, a package of social and environmental investments estimated at $1.75 trillion (BRL 9.7 trillion), is still under review.
The infrastructure plan calls for $110 billion in new investments in roads, bridges and other road works. Government data show that 278 thousand km of highways and 45 thousand bridges are in poor condition, with problems such as holes in the asphalt, infiltration and rust in the structures.
In the area of climate change, the plan foresees US$ 50 billion to combat and prevent droughts and floods, US$ 7.5 billion to expand the electric vehicle charging network and another US$ 5 billion to purchase electric school buses and hybrids.
(With Reuters)
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