House Democrats Approve $1.5 Trillion 'Moving Forward Act'

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the Moving Forward Act vote "pointless political theater."

1 minute read

July 2, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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"The House on Wednesday passed a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that would sharply increase spending on roads and transit, push for deep reductions in pollution, direct billions to water projects, affordable housing, broadband and schools, and upgrade hospitals and U.S. Postal Service trucks," reports Miahcel Laris.

The Moving Forward Act includes the $500 billion INVEST in America Act, otherwise known as the House's version of the five-year federal transportation bill. 

Laris describes how House democrats are describing the Moving Forward Act:

Backers, including Transportation Committee Chairman Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), said the bill represents an ambitious, years-in-the-making push to buttress and expand aging infrastructure in a sustainable way. Supporters said it marks a departure from traditional surface transportation legislation because of its emphasis on maintaining roads and bridges, building transit and reducing transportation-related pollution, the nation’s top source of greenhouse gases causing climate change.

That enthusiasm will run out when Republicans in the Senate and the executive branch consider the bill. President Trump promised to veto the bill, characterizing it as "full of wasteful ‘Green New Deal’ initiatives." It likely won't come to a veto, however, as Senate Majority Mitch McConnell characterized the bill as "pointless political theater" and "absurd."

Wednesday, July 1, 2020 in The Washington Post

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