Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Moving Forward On Two Tracks With Infrastructure Legislation

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding moving forward on infrastructure along two tracks and convening with the group of Democrats negotiating with Republicans to discuss the bipartisan track after meeting with Budget Committee Democrats yesterday.  Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Despite a consensus in Washington that America needs more investment in our infrastructure, it’s been decades since Congress passed a standalone bill to address the issue.

This Congress is working hard to remedy that fact.

As I’ve repeated, discussions about infrastructure are moving forward along two tracks. One is bipartisan. The second deals with components of the American Jobs and Families Plan, which we will consider even if it lacks bipartisan support.

I would note that a recent poll showed that President Biden’s infrastructure and families plan is broadly popular. Nearly 70% of Americans support President Biden’s infrastructure plan and more than 60% support additional support for American families.

Now, despite some over-dramatized punditry, the truth is both tracks are moving forward very well and both tracks need each other.

So we want to work with our Republican colleagues on infrastructure where we have common ground.

And Democrats believe we have other priorities that the Senate must consider above and beyond a bipartisan infrastructure bill, not the least of which is addressing the urgent challenge of climate change.

Yesterday I convened all 11 members of the Senate Budget Committee to discuss the reconciliation track. And today I’ll convene the group of Democrats negotiating with Republicans to discuss the bipartisan track.

We set up the two tracks about a month ago. Each is proceeding along. And the two tracks are parallel, working in concert, and progressing well.

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