President Joe Biden (D) and a bipartisan group of 21 senators reached an agreement on the contours of an infrastructure package. Details remain scarce, but at this point, we know that affordable housing provisions were not included in the bipartisan compromise package. The framework focuses on “more traditional” infrastructure items like roads, bridges, public transportation, water delivery, etc. It also aims to connect every American to reliable high-speed internet and drive down prices for internet service and close the digital divide.
It remains to be seen if this bipartisan package will be able to secure enough votes to pass in both the House and Senate. The framework does not yet specify how it would be paid for, increased taxes could cause Republicans to oppose the bill. Several progressives are threatening to withhold their support for the bill unless the Senate also simultaneously passes reconciliation instructions for a larger, partisan package, which would likely include affordable housing provisions.
