Senate considers amendments to bipartisan infrastructure bill

By Eric Revell, Countable News

What’s the story?

• The Senate is debating amendments to the bipartisan infrastructure package, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The first amendments were considered Monday and more will receive votes in the days ahead.
• Here’s a rundown of the amendments the Senate has voted on so far or scheduled for a future vote:

Thursday, August 5th

• TBA amendments.

Wednesday, August 4th

• Schumer Amendment (#2570) - Offered by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), this amendment would establish safety standards for certain limousines. Adopted 58-39.
• Fischer Amendment (#2164) - Offered by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), this amendment would require the establishment of an online interactive map displaying the locations of federally-funded broadband deployment projects to promote transparency. Adopted 95-0.
• Bennet Amendment (#2548) - Offered by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), this amendment would require the Dept. of Agriculture to establish a Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program. Adopted by voice vote.
• Carper Amendment (#2564) - Offered by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), this amendment would improve provisions in the bill providing funding for the Army Corps of Engineers. Adopted by voice vote.
• Rosen Amendment (#2358) - Offered by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), this amendment would modify a provision providing support for activities to increase the resiliency of the National Highway System to mitigate damages from wildfires. Adopted by voice vote.
• Lee Amendment (#2279) - Offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), this amendment would establish a project delivery program and reform environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. Not adopted 47-50.
• Scott (FL) Amendment (#2338) - Offered by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), this amendment would prohibit funds from being disbursed or obligated if the Congressional Budget Office determines that it could result in an increase in inflation. Not adopted 52-45.
• Daines Amendment (#2449) - Offered by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), this amendment would provide $300 million for post-fire forest restoration activities over the next five years. Not adopted 48-50.
• Cardin-Wicker Amendment (#2478) - Offered by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), this amendment would require the Minority Business Development Agency of the Dept. of Commerce to promote and administer programs in the public and private sectors to assist the development of minority business enterprises. Adopted by voice vote.
• Lankford Amendment (#2233) - Offered by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), this amendment would require that federal aid, grants, subgrants, contracts, and subcontracts authorized by this bill only be awarded to entities that enroll in and comply with the E-Verify Program (which checks the citizenship and immigration status of workers). Not adopted 53-45.
• Peters-Rounds Amendment (#2464) - Offered by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), this amendment would modify cybersecurity provisions of the underlying bill. Adopted 96-2.
• Kennedy Amendment (#2210) - Offered by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), this amendment would provide emergency assistance for disaster response and recovery for expenses related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeto. Not adopted 19-79.
• Wicker Amendment (#2146) - Offered by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), this amendment would apply the Administrative Procedures Act to the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. Not adopted 43-55.
• Johnson Amendment (#2245) - Offered by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), this amendment would prohibit the secretary of homeland security and other federal officials from canceling, invalidating, or breaching any contract for the construction or improvement of any physical barrier along the U.S. border, or for other border security measures. Not adopted 48-49.

Tuesday, August 3rd

• Van Hollen Amendment (#2354) - Offered by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), this amendment would include payment and performance security requirements for infrastructure financing under this bill. Adopted 97-0.
• Cruz-Warnock Amendment (#2300) - Offered by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), this amendment would designate additional high priority corridors within the National Highway system, including specified roadways in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Adopted by voice vote.
• Duckworth Amendment (#2140) Offered by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), this amendment would require entities receiving grants under this bill to commit to pursuing public transportation accessibility projects. Not adopted 48-50.
• Lee Amendment (#2255) - Offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), this amendment would replace the text of this bill with Lee’s legislation to reduce the federal gas tax by over 11 cents per gallon; reform the National Highway Trust Fund; streamline National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements; and remove Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules. Not adopted 20-78.
• Lummis-Kelly Amendment (#2181) - Offered by Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), this amendment would require the Dept. of Transportation to study the direct costs of highway use by various types of users within four years. Specifically, it would consider the federal costs in design, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of federal-aid highways based on the use of vehicles of different dimensions, weights, axles, and other specifications; their frequency in the traffic stream; the safety, emissions, congestion, and noise-related costs created by them; and the proportionate share of costs attributable to each class of highway users. Adopted 95-3.

Monday, August 2nd

• Barrasso Amendment (#2180) - Offered by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), this amendment would limit funds under this bill from being used to encourage or facilitate building codes that restrict or prohibit the use of natural gas in residential and commercial buildings for space heating, water heating, cooking, or other purposes; or that would compel the adoption of model building codes. Not adopted 45-48.
• Thune-Tester Amendment (#2162) - Offered by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Jon Tester (D-MT), this amendment would identify ways in which the number of workers enrolled in 5G training programs can be expanded to grow the telecommunications workforce. Adopted 95-1.
• Padilla-Moran Amendment (#2133) - Offered by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), this amendment would make it easier for funding under this bill to be used to improve healthcare facilities for Indian tribes by striking requirements that renovations meet now-obsolete accreditation standards and only use the funding they already receive. Adopted 90-7.

(Photo Credit: Capitol: ttarasiuk via Flickr / Creative Commons)