School Infrastructure Update

June 24, 2021

Yesterday, President Biden endorsed the bipartisan infrastructure framework introduced by a group of 21 senators led by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Rob Portman (R-OH). At this point, the exact details of the proposal have yet to be formally released. However, the plan is expected to total $579 billion in new spending to rebuild America’s roads and bridges, improve public transit systems, expand passenger rails, upgrade ports and airports, invest in broadband infrastructure, fix water systems, modernize our power sector and improve climate resilience. Additionally, the bipartisan framework includes funding to electrify thousands of school and transit buses across the country and eliminate the nation’s lead service lines and pipes to deliver clean drinking water to up to ten million American families and more than 400,000 schools and child care facilities. You can check out the draft framework by clicking here.

The bill does not include funding for school, child care, and community college infrastructure proposed in the American Jobs Plan. That said, there is some good news here, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that the House would not vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill until the Senate passes a larger set of Democratic priorities through budget reconciliation. Biden also signaled that he will not sign the bipartisan G20 proposal without the Senate first passing a larger reconciliation bill with his American Job and Family Plan priorities.

Considering this, the pressure is now on Senate Democrats to craft the text for President Biden's proposal. Again, there is still time to get the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act across the finish line.