The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act

On Friday, November 5th, the House passed H.R. 3684: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIF). It had already passed through the Senate with a 69-30 vote before being decided on in the House with a 228-206 vote. The legislation is expected to be on President Biden’s desk this week to be signed into law.

The legislation will reauthorize surface transportation programs for five years and provide funding authorization for energy, water, and broadband infrastructure. It would increase spending on infrastructure by $550 billion over five years and appropriate $445.9 billion in emergency funding. This legislation is a major part of President Biden’s agenda to build stronger infrastructure while providing job opportunities. The White House released the following fact sheet on the bill. A summary report released by Senator Rob Portman can be found here, and a section-by-section released by Senator Joe Manchin can be found here.

While the bill covers a myriad of infrastructural investments, the bill is centered around the reauthorization of surface transportation programs, starting with highways. According to Bloomberg Government, the following measures have been included in the bill relating to highways: