[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 106 (Thursday, June 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             INFRASTRUCTURE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on another issue, infrastructure, 
despite a consensus in Washington that America needs more investment in 
our infrastructure, it has been decades since Congress passed a stand-
alone bill to address the issue. This Congress is working hard to 
remedy that fact.
  As I have repeated, discussions about infrastructure are moving 
forward along two tracks. One is bipartisan, and the second deals with 
components of the American jobs and families plan, which we will 
consider even if it lacks bipartisan support--though, I would note that 
a recent poll showed that President Biden's infrastructure and family 
plan is broadly popular. Nearly 70 percent of Americans support 
President Biden's infrastructure plan. More than 60 percent support 
additional support for American families.
  Now, despite some overdramatized 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 will 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, 
progressing well.

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