House Passes Moving Forward Act; Senate Next Up

In a much expected decision that came a few days early in observance of the Fourth of July weekend, the $1.5 trillion Moving Forward Act was passed by the House Wednesday evening.

The bill, which was drafted nearly entirely by Democrats would put forth funding towards the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure, which the American Society of Civil Engineers graded at a D+ in 2017.

“Moving forward—that’s exactly what this legislation will enable our country to do. H.R. 2 takes bold, broad and transformational action to rebuild our infrastructure and make it smarter, safe and built to last while addressing key injustices in America,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday.

However, there are murky waters ahead in the Senate for the legislation, as some lawmakers view the package in a different sense.

“There’s nothing bipartisan about it. It’s completely partisan,” said Barrasso, chairman of the Senate EPW Committee.

Despite disagreements on this specific proposal, if one thing is clear, it’s that policymakers can agree that an infrastructure-focused package is needed. The parameters of it are an entirely different conversation that is yet to be ironed out. The time has never been better for this conversation to be at the top of the government’s list, so if anything, this is a step in the right direction despite an expected rocky road ahead for the Moving Forward Act.