WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure bill at a White House ceremony on Monday that drew Democrats and Republicans who pushed the legislation through a deeply divided U.S. Congress.
The measure is designed to create jobs across the country by dispersing billions of dollars to state and local governments to fix crumbling bridges and roads and by expanding broadband internet access to millions of Americans.
The bill-signing ceremony, held in chilly weather on the White House South Lawn to accommodate a big crowd, was an increasingly rare moment when members of both parties were willing to stand together and celebrate a bipartisan achievement.
Biden, whose job approval ratings have dropped because of his handling of the economy and other issues, heard supportive chants of “Joe, Joe, Joe” from some in the crowd and got a standing ovation as he stepped to the microphone.
Biden said the bill’s passage showed that “despite the cynics, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver results.” He called the bill a “blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America.”
“Too often in Washington, the reason we don’t get things done is because we insist on getting everything we want. With this law, we focused on getting things done,” Biden said.
Speakers included Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the centrist Arizona Democrat whose opposition to some tax increases has forced a scaling back of a companion piece of legislation, Biden’s $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” social safety net plan.
Sinema and fellow Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who also attended, have angered some in their party for resisting a number of items sought by progressives in the social spending bill. Sinema appeared to refer to the criticism in her remarks.
“Delivering this legislation for the American people – this is what it looks like when elected leaders set aside differences, shut out the noise and focus on delivering results on the issues that matter most to everyday Americans,” she said.
Republicans attending included Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.
Some Republicans who drew fire from their party’s right wing for backing the legislation stayed away.
Biden signed an executive order before the ceremony directing that materials made in the United States be given priority in infrastructure projects, the White House said.
It also established a task force made up of top Cabinet officials to guide implementation of the legislation, co-chaired by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
The bill had become a partisan lightning rod, with Republicans complaining that Democrats who control the House of Representatives delayed its passage to ensure party support for Biden’s $1.75 trillion social policy and climate change legislation, which Republicans reject.
BATTLE OVER SOCIAL SPENDING LOOMS
There was a festive atmosphere at the ceremony. Biden joked that Portman, who is not standing for re-election and does not have to face critics within his own Republican Party, is a “hell of a good guy. I know I’m not hurting you, Rob, because you’re not running again.”
Representative Don Young, an 88-year-old Alaska Republican, teased Biden about the hour-plus length of the ceremony when he sat down to sign the bill.
“We were wondering when you were gonna stop. We damn near froze to death,” he said.
How long the bipartisan spirit will last is unclear as both sides expect a big battle over the social safety net plan.
Biden’s Build Back Better package includes provisions on childcare and preschool, eldercare, healthcare, prescription drug pricing and immigration.
The White House is hoping House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the bill to a vote this week. That will only be a first step, however, as the Senate has not yet taken up the legislation, and Democratic divisions could threaten its chances in that chamber.
Biden and top officials in his administration are hitting the road to promote the infrastructure plan. He visits New Hampshire on Tuesday and Michigan on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Peter Cooney and Cynthia Osterman)
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EARLIER STORY:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In need of a political boost, President Joe Biden will sign a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Monday at a ceremony expected to draw Democrats and some Republicans who were instrumental in getting the legislation passed.
The measure is expected to create jobs across the country by dispersing billions of dollars to state and local governments to fix crumbling bridges and roads, and expanding broadband internet access to millions of Americans.
The White House said on Sunday that Biden named former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to supervise implementation of the infrastructure effort.
The ceremony, scheduled to be held on the White House South Lawn to accommodate a big crowd, represents an increasingly rare case where members of both parties are willing to stand together and celebrate a bipartisan achievement.
The bill had become a partisan lightning rod, with Republicans complaining that Democrats who control the House of Representatives delayed its passage to ensure party support for Biden’s $1.75 trillion social policy and climate change legislation, which Republicans reject.
The 13 House Republicans who broke ranks with their party to support the measure have been targeted by former President Donald Trump and some of their own colleagues.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who voted in favor of the bill, told Louisville, Kentucky’s WHAS radio last week that he was not attending the signing ceremony because he has “other things I’ve got to do.”
The phrase “infrastructure week” became a Washington punch line during Trump’s four years in the White House, when plans to focus on investments in America’s roads, railways and other transportation were repeatedly derailed.
Now it is Biden who needs some positive momentum as he struggles to address rising inflation and high gasoline prices that have contributed to a drop in his job approval ratings. The Democratic president and his party are eager to show they can move forward on his agenda ahead of the November 2022 midterm elections when Republicans will seek to regain control of both chambers of Congress.
INFLATION CONCERNS
U.S. consumer prices last week posted their biggest annual gain in 31 years, driven by surges in the cost of gasoline and other goods. Republicans have pounced on inflation worries, arguing that the increase reflects Biden’s sweeping spending agenda.
Biden’s economic advisers defended his policies on Sunday, saying rising inflation was a global issue related to the COVID-19 pandemic, not a result of the administration’s programs.
“There’s no doubt inflation is high right now. It’s affecting Americans’ pocketbooks. It’s affecting their outlook,” Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But it’s important that we put this in context. When the president took office, we were facing an all-out economic crisis.”
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Deese said in separate television appearances that they expect the infrastructure legislation, as well as the $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” bill, to help bring down inflation.
The “Build Back Better” package includes provisions on childcare and preschool, eldercare, healthcare, prescription drug pricing and immigration.
Deese said he was confident that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would bring the bill to a vote this week. That will only be a first step, however, as the Senate has not yet taken up the legislation, and Democratic divisions could threaten its chances in that chamber.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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