[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. McCONNELL. On a completely different matter, today two Senate 
committees will consider and vote on two very different pieces of 
legislation.
  Over in the Russell Building, the Environment and Public Works 
Committee just approved a bipartisan bill, led by Chairman Carper and 
Ranking Member Capito, to invest in better roads and bridges for the 
American people.
  This would be the first major action on surface transportation since 
the FAST Act 6 years ago. It would raise the baseline funding for roads 
and bridges to an alltime high. And, as expected, our colleagues just 
reported this bill out unanimously, 20 to 0. That is legislating done 
right. Our colleagues are modeling the approach that would let Congress 
build a successful, big-picture infrastructure bill later this year.
  Meanwhile, in the Hart Building, the Finance Committee will spend its 
afternoon marking up a leftwing, partisan bill written fully within the 
spirit of the Green New Deal: maximum pain for working American 
families in exchange for minimal--minimal--environmental gain.
  Under the guise of Clean Energy for America, Chairman Wyden is 
leading the charge against the most reliable and affordable ways to 
power our country.
  The legislation he has drafted is full of the sort of policies that 
would increase the price of gas at the pump, hike the tax burden on 
independent American producers, of course, killing jobs, discourage the 
industry-led innovations that have already been reducing emissions 
without hurting workers, and dragging the United States away from 
energy independence back toward reliance on imports from places like 
Russia, Venezuela, and the Middle East.
  In exchange, the bill would have ordinary Americans subsidize the 
lifestyle preferences of wealthy people in places like New York and San 
Francisco.
  So one committee unanimously approved a smart, targeted, bipartisan 
approach to key infrastructure projects that America needs, and another 
will consider a partisan descendent of the Green New Deal that would 
raise taxes, probably raise gas prices, and leave us with a less and 
less reliable electricity grid.
  Really, this contrast is a fork in the road that the Biden 
administration is facing writ large. Which route to take; a lonely road 
leading to the far left versus a mainstream, bipartisan road leading 
straight ahead toward practical policies that make American lives 
actually better?
  The Senate knows how to walk that road. This last highway bill passed 
the Senate with 83 votes. Just last month, we passed a water 
infrastructure bill with 89 votes.
  If President Biden wants to secure lasting solutions, build a lasting 
legacy, and improve the lives of Americans in practical ways, he has 
the map in hand. For the sake of the country, let's hope he and his 
party decide to follow it.

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