Amid supply chain concerns, latest reconciliation bill version reduces port infrastructure grants
Roll Call By Jessica Wehrman November 1, 2021 The latest iteration of congressional Democrats’ budget reconciliation package reduces the amount of transportation-related spending by a little more than $10 billion, paring down funding for ports and sustainable aviation fuel from the original proposal by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. While most of the focus among transportation groups has centered on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which includes $550 billion in new spending for built infrastructure such as highways and transit, Democrats had hoped to flesh out investments further when crafting the reconciliation package. That larger spending bill also includes dollars for child care, fighting climate change and other domestic priorities. The newest version of the reconciliation bill, trimmed at the insistence of moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, still includes $10 billion for a new program that would bring more transit services to low-income communities and spends $10 billion for a high-speed passenger rail program. Both are key priorities of President Joe Biden that were also in the original reconciliation measure the committee approved Sept. 15.
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