Reiterates call for at least $3.5 trillion, no House action on bipartisan bill until budget reconciliation package passes Senate
Washington (August 10, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after voting today in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure legislation – the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“This bipartisan infrastructure legislation is only the beginning of the critical work we need to finish to combat the climate crisis, support working families, and expand education and health care. Since Republicans refuse to recognize the intersecting crises we face, Senate Democrats must continue on the second of our two-track strategy and move immediately to the budget reconciliation package. Our country is besieged by wildfires, record heat waves, and superstorms fueled by climate change, while workers and families still don’t get a fair shake as billionaires and corporations avoid paying their fair share. We need budget reconciliation to reflect the level of investment necessary to create the jobs, justice, and take the climate action to respond to the generational challenge we face.
“The Senate today passed an important down payment on the work we must undertake to help rebuild our crumbling bridges and roads, promote transportation safety, and spur economic growth. But we must now act with ambition and urgency on President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. It’s time for Congressional Democrats to ensure the trains -- on both tracks -- arrive on time.”
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