Governing is never easy. And, it's definitely not easy in today's hyper-polarized world. The difficulty is further compounded given the 50-50 split in the Senate and only 8 seat advantage for Democrats. This basically means that centrist Democrats in the Senate have a lot of power and the progressive wing in the House has a lot of power.
Centrist Democrats seem opposed to passing major legislation through reconciliation which overrides the filibuster, and progressive Democrats are loath to pass watered-down bills that are crafted to ensure passage in the Senate. Thus, it's important to understand that these deals could fall apart at any moment given the multiple moving parts and power of any group of legislators to thwart passage.
Senate Agreement
Despite these potential roadblocks, it's quite impressive and an important first step that the Senate was able to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill with 67 votes that total $1 trillion. The bill includes $550 billion to spend on public works projects that would be spent in the next 5 years. It would be paid for by tapping $250 billion in unused coronavirus funds and $55 billion in unused unemployment insurance.
The package also includes $110 billion for highways, $65 billion for broadband, and $73 billion to upgrade and re-fit the electric grid. Other areas include $25 billion for airports, $55 billion for waterworks, and $50 billion to increase cybersecurity defense.
What's Next
To be specific, there is still considerable debate about whether the bill will get the 60 votes that are required for passage. Many progressive House Democrats have been quite vocal in saying that they would only consider the bill if it's paired with a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill that addresses a wide variety of progressive priorities.
Of course, Republicans would be opposed to this outcome. Further, reconciliation can be passed by a majority but would require the support of every Democrat. Already, Senators Simena of Arizona and Machin of West Virginia have expressed their opposition to passing such a big bill through reconciliation.