Infrastructure Bill Hangs in The Balance - Again

 By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief Democrats have a new deadline to enact President Joe Biden’s agenda. The party will try to pass both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a broad spending package by the end of this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told his caucus Monday. So far, the infrastructure legislation still contains $65 billion in broadband deployment grants. The party hopes to pass the plans before the October 31 expiration of major transportation funding programs, which the infrastructure legislation would renew.

Democrats will have to satisfy progressives who thought the original $3.5 trillion price was too small and at least one centrist who wants to spend no more than $1.5 trillion. Negotiations around the plan kicked into high gear last week as lawmakers tried, and failed, to meet their self-imposed Thursday deadline to get both bills passed in the House. Talks would need to yield an agreement in the coming days for lawmakers to write and pass a measure in time, according to CNBC. Continue Reading