Infrastructure senators brush off criticism from left, right

The political center appears to be holding in the Senate to push the $1 trillion infrastructure package toward final passage

WASHINGTON -- The often-elusive political center is holding steady in the Senate with a strong coalition of Democrats and Republicans brushing off critics to push the $1 trillion infrastructure package toward passage. Final votes are expected Tuesday. On the left, the Democrats have withstood the complaints of liberals who say the proposal falls short of what’s needed to provide a down payment on one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities. From the right, the Republicans are largely ignoring the criticism from their most conservative and far-flung voices, including a barrage of name-calling from former President Donald Trump as he tries to derail the package. All told, some 70 senators appear poised to carry the bipartisan infrastructure bill to passage, a potentially robust tally of lawmakers eager to tap the billions in new spending it will unleash for public works projects back home.