Massive Infrastructure And Spending Measures Move To House After Senate Approval

The New York Times: Senate Passes $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan, Advancing Sweeping Safety Net Expansion
The Senate took a major step early on Wednesday toward enacting a sweeping expansion of the nation’s social safety net, approving a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint along party lines that would allow Democrats to fund climate change, health care and education measures while increasing taxes on wealthy people and corporations. After an unusual bipartisan approval of a $1 trillion infrastructure package a day earlier, the vote over unanimous Republican opposition allows Senate Democrats to create an expansive package that will carry the remainder of President Biden’s $4 trillion economic agenda. The Senate adopted the measure 50 to 49, with one lawmaker, Senator Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota, absent. (Cochrane, 8/11)

Politico: Senate Adopts Budget That Paves Way For $3.5T Spending Plan
Senate Democrats adopted a budget measure early Wednesday morning to deliver their next filibuster-proof ticket to passing major legislation against the will of their GOP colleagues. After more than 14 hours of continuous amendment votes, the chamber adopted on party lines a 92-page framework for Democrats’ $3.5 trillion package of climate and social initiatives, including subsidized child care, expanded Medicare and paid family and medical leave benefits. Once both chambers have approved the budget instructions, it will unlock the reconciliation process, which empowers the majority party to eventually clear the final bill with just 51 votes in the Senate, rather than the usual 60-vote hurdle. (Emma and Scholtes, 8/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Senate Passes Democrats’ $3.5 Trillion Budget Blueprint 
The party line vote, 50-49, came just before 4 a.m., one day after the Senate passed a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. It is an initial victory for President Biden and congressional Democrats who are seeking to pass as much of their legislative agenda as possible this year, before next year’s midterm elections overtake Capitol Hill. “Senate Democrats have just took a massive step towards restoring the middle class of the 21st century,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said just after the vote. “What we’re doing here is not easy. Democrats have labored for months to reach this point. And there are many labors to come. But I can say with absolute certainty that it will be worth doing.” (Peterson, Duehren and Collins, 8/11)

The Washington Post: Senate Democrats Adopt Sweeping $3.5 Trillion Budget That Opens The Door To Health, Education And Tax Reforms
Hours after the Senate advanced a bipartisan bill to improve the nation’s infrastructure, Democrats forged ahead independently on a second front — adopting a $3.5 trillion budget that could enable sweeping changes to the nation’s health care, education and tax laws. The 50-49 vote came early Wednesday morning, after lawmakers sparred in a marathon debate over the proposed sizable increase in spending and its potential implications for the federal deficit. Its passage marked another critical milestone in Democrats’ complex economic agenda, which includes new public-works investments that Republicans support — and a slew of additional policy proposals that the GOP does not. (Romm, 8/11)

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Politico: Biden Scores A Bipartisan Win. Even His Team Isn’t ‘Pollyannaish’ About More
The infrastructure bill still must go through the House. And the reconciliation package, which includes more ambitious spending on child care, education and climate change, has an uncertain fate in the Senate. When pressed on the timing of House passage of the infrastructure deal, Biden laughed, confidently declaring, "we'll get it done, I’ll get both.” All 50 Senate Democrats need to be on board to move the reconciliation package. Progressives are concerned their party-line bill will be slashed to accommodate moderate Democrats. Moderates, meanwhile, want to see the bipartisan bill reach Biden’s desk as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the second, Democratic-only legislation to pass. (Cadelago and Barron-Lopez, 8/10)