[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 136 (Sunday, August 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5239-S5240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               H.R. 3684

  Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President it is an honor to be here. They say that 
making law is like making sausage. But I have seen sausage made, and it 
is a prettier process, and it is a lot easier. But this has been a lot 
more rewarding. I have enjoyed the time we have had together.
  My good friend from West Virginia talked about how much money we are 
spending here, how big this is. But let me note something, underscore 
something: This is paid for. This is not going to raise taxes on 
people. This is, instead, taking some money that was already 
appropriated, not used for COVID relief. We are going to bring that 
back and use it to help build infrastructure.
  This is a bill which is paid for, and it gives the American people 
something that they desperately need, and that is an upgrade in our 
infrastructure.
  Now, of course, you know it was several months ago that this group 
came together. We call ourselves affectionately the G-10. Senator 
Portman and Senator Sinema have shown enormous patience and persistence 
and resolve getting this across the finish line. I want to thank also 
particularly Senator Capito for laying out the foundation for what we 
proposed at the very beginning, which we built upon and has led to the 
final piece of legislation.
  As has been said, neither side got everything we wanted. There are a 
bunch of things in this bill I don't like, I would take out. There are 
things in this bill I know my Democratic friends don't like and would 
take out. But the nature of getting work done in Washington is to be 
able to come up with something that has enough good for both that we 
actually get it done. And the American people have been waiting one 
President after another after another, saying let's improve our 
infrastructure, and it just doesn't get done. This time, we have.
  Now, I know that Republicans had a choice here. We could let the 
Democrats just do something on their own. With reconciliation, they 
could have spent trillions of dollars without any of our help. But the 
President and the leaders of the Democratic Party here and our friends 
said: No, let's work together and see if we can do something 
collectively.
  Now, I know Members of both parties have mischaracterized our efforts 
as somehow linked to paving the way to the Democrats' $3.5 trillion 
wish list. If you don't think our Democratic friends are going to push 
for that monstrosity with or without this bill, then I have a bridge in 
Brooklyn to sell you. They are going to push for that anyway. This is a 
separate piece of legislation. I love this one. I hate that one. These 
are two very different things, and there is going to be an effort, 
obviously, to stop that bill from going forward.
  This is not perfect. It is paid for.
  I want to note as well that if the Democrats would have written the 
bill entirely on their own, Utah would probably have ended up on the 
short end of the stick. But because of our involvement in this effort, 
some of our rural States like mine have been able to have a seat at the 
table, and that means limiting the spending on bad policy that only 
benefits the rich coastal cities in the East and the far West. So I am 
proud of this bill because it benefits Americans across the country.
  For decades, elected officials have talked about addressing our 
Nation's infrastructure. This infrastructure bill turns that talk into 
reality without raising taxes on hard-working Americans or adding to 
our debt.
  I am proud of my colleagues. It has been fun working with them. It 
was challenging from time to time, I am sure, to have to listen to me, 
they would tell you, but I am proud of what we did together, and I urge 
my colleagues to support it.
  Now, I would respectfully request that we yield just a minute more to 
Senator Portman.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.


                               H.R. 3684

  Mr. PORTMAN. I thank my colleague from Utah for his wise words. Yes, 
it is true that there was a $2.65 trillion package proposed by 
President Biden for infrastructure, and we are at $550 billion. So it 
is bipartisan. Both sides made concessions. But it is very different 
than what we would have seen, and again, it is an alternative with no 
taxes.
  I do want to say that there was another effort underway before we got 
started. Actually, Shelley Moore Capito was part of our efforts early 
on and then decided to try to work with the White House to come up with 
a proposal. They were not successful in the end of bridging the gap 
between where the White House was and where they were, and the 
bipartisan approach that we used here ended up being more successful, 
but we are building on the foundation that they created. So you will 
see Senator Capito managing this bill for our side. I appreciate her 
support the other day on our first vote, and I appreciate the hard work 
they put in to help us to be able to come to this point today.
  I yield back my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader


                               H.R. 3684

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, well, I thank my colleagues for their 
fine speeches, and I very much appreciate them.
  Now, the bipartisan group of Senators has finished writing the text 
of

[[Page S5240]]

the infrastructure bill, and in a moment, I will take the procedural 
steps to make their legislative language the base of the bill here on 
the floor.
  I want to congratulate the Members of the bipartisan group for their 
efforts. We haven't done a large bipartisan bill of this nature in a 
long time. I want to especially thank the staffs, who burned the 
midnight oil many a night, for their diligence, their hard work, their 
intelligence, and their skill.
  Thank you, staff, listening and a few in the room here tonight.
  These days, it isn't easy to do major bills in the Senate, especially 
bipartisan ones, so I have tried to prod the negotiators along when 
they have needed it and given them the space when they have asked for 
it. In the end, the bipartisan group of Senators has produced a bill 
that will dedicate substantial resources to repair, maintain, and 
upgrade our Nation's physical infrastructure. It has been decades--
decades--since Congress passed such a significant stand-alone 
investment, and I salute the hard work that was done here by everybody.
  In order for our workers, our businesses, our economy to succeed in 
the 21st century, we cannot have infrastructure that is stuck in the 
last century. The bipartisan infrastructure bill is designed to bring 
our infrastructure up to date for a new century, and that is a 
significant achievement.
  Now, for the future, for the information of Senators, here is how we 
plan to move forward. I will offer the text of the bipartisan 
infrastructure bill as a substitute amendment, as I promised, making it 
the base of the bill.
  Then the Senate will work to consider additional amendments to the 
bipartisan framework. Given how bipartisan the bill is and how much 
work has already been put in to get the details right, I believe the 
Senate can quickly process relevant amendments and pass this bill in a 
matter of days.
  Then I will move the Senate along the second track of our 
infrastructure effort and take up the budget resolution.
  A bipartisan infrastructure bill is definitely necessary, but to many 
of us, it is not sufficient. That is why soon after this bill passes 
the Senate, Democrats will press forward with a budget resolution to 
allow the Senate to make further historic, vitally important 
investments in American jobs, American families, and efforts to reverse 
climate change.
  Look, I have set out two very ambitious goals for the Senate this 
summer, and we are now on the way to achieving both. As I said, both 
tracks, this one and the other, are very much needed by the American 
people, and we must accomplish both.
  Now, after many days of waiting and a lot of hard work and a lot of 
compromise, I ask that the clerk report the pending business.

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