Senate starts infrastructure debate amid 11th-hour drama
By Jordain Carney - 07/30/21 01:35 PM EDT
The Senate voted on Friday to formally start debating a bipartisan infrastructure proposal after a last-minute snag briefly threw the chamber into chaos.
Senators voted 66-28 to start debate. Senators are using a shell bill that they intend to swap the bipartisan group’s legislation into once it is finished.
Sixteen GOP senators voted to start debate.
The vote had been expected to start around 11:30 a.m., but it was delayed for roughly an hour after a draft version of the bill floated around Capitol Hill and K Street sparked fierce GOP pushback.
Republicans and aides in both parties warned that the draft legislation in circulation didn’t reflect the bipartisan group’s agreement. But it still sparked worries from Republicans that Democrats were trying to jam them with an alternative version of the bill spearheaded by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).
“There’s a version floating around downtown which is not the version we agreed upon,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a member of the bipartisan group, told reporters.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who voted to start debate, added that there was a “bogus copy” floating around with lobbyists.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/565654-senate-starts-infrastructure-debate-amid-11th-hour-drama
