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Biden signs $1.2T infrastructure bill: ‘America is moving again’
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill during a ceremony at the White House packed with some 800 supporters, heralding what he said was a “truly consequential” spending bill that will improve Americans’ day-to-day lives. But Democrats also emphasized that there is more to come – […]
Climate funds in infrastructure bill aimed at drought, wildfires, floods, Interior says
The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill isn’t just about roads and bridges – it also spends billions to address wildfires, drought, flooding, and other effects from climate change, Interior Department officials said Wednesday. The $1.2 trillion measure, which is awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature after the House cleared it last week, includes pay raises for […]
White House touts clean energy, transit, rail projects in sprawling infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON – Federal officials on Tuesday offered details about how money from the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill would be spent, emphasizing the pending law’s potential to add clean energy capacity. Department of Transportation officials highlighted the $1.2 trillion bill’s record funding for public transit like buses and subways, as well as for Amtrak. They […]
U.S. House sends $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to Biden for his signature
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House cleared a $1.2 trillion physical infrastructure bill and took a major step toward passage of a landmark $1.85 trillion social spending and climate bill late Friday, following months of wrangling between Democrats’ progressive and moderate wings. The votes marked a milestone in the marathon negotiations among members of the House […]
Senate Republicans block a voting rights bill for the third time this year
Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked another voting rights bill, this one named for Georgia civil rights icon John R. Lewis. On a 50-49 vote, the Senate declined to proceed to debate on the latest Democratic effort at a nationwide voting rights overhaul meant to stymie Republican-led state laws restricting voting access. It […]
Revised voting rights bill named for John Lewis wins over one GOP senator
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Tuesday she would join Senate Democrats in backing a compromise voting rights bill, marking the first time this year a Republican has signed on to a measure that likely still lacks enough GOP support to become law. Murkowski, of Alaska, joined Democrats Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard J. Durbin of […]
Biden calls for ‘decade of action’ on climate, apologizes for Trump exit from Paris Agreement
President Joe Biden urged the international community on Monday to transition to clean energy, curb greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, and help developing nations adapt to a changing climate. Speaking at a pivotal United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Biden said worsening wildfires and once-in-a-century storms hitting every few years show that there’s only […]
No climate deal for Biden as he joins global allies at critical UN conference
President Joe Biden will arrive at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, without new federal programs in hand to fight climate change, after Democrats in Congress failed to reach an agreement to pass his revised $1.75 trillion spending plan. But environmental advocates say they haven’t given up and praised the new proposal […]
Biden’s new public lands chief faced with building bridges after confirmation battle
Before she inspired partisan theatrics in the U.S. Senate as the Bureau of Land Management nominee, Tracy Stone-Manning built a reputation in Montana — her home for more than 30 years — as a consensus-builder. Stone-Manning stood out as an expert at bridging divides between conservationists and loggers, miners and recreational land users, in a […]
Why there’s such an impasse in Congress: Some questions and answers
WASHINGTON – Congress may have kept the federal government operating with an 11th-hour flurry of votes on Thursday, but several key pieces of the Democratic agenda remain in limbo. Here are some questions and answers on where negotiations stand with two massive Democratic-drafted bills — and the status of other looming challenges for federal lawmakers: […]
House Democrats kick off reconciliation process with $30 billion Interior bill
The House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday inched toward approval of a $30 billion bill to fund climate, tribal, and environmental programs. Thursday’s meeting marked the first time a congressional committee considered any piece of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan meant to fundamentally change U.S. health, climate, education, and tax policy. Democrats plan to move […]
Biden administration to restart oil and gas leasing
The Interior Department will take significant steps toward restarting its leasing programs for onshore and offshore oil and gas development in the coming months, the Biden administration said in a court filing Tuesday. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management anticipates holding a sale for offshore leases in October or November, the administration said. The Bureau […]