Senate overwhelmingly approves $35 billion bipartisan water infrastructure bill

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a $35 billion bill to upgrade the nation's water infrastructure, signaling that it is possible for senators to reach a bipartisan consensus even as they remain divided over President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. The legislation, which passed by a vote of 89 to 2, now goes to the House.

The legislation was spearheaded by Democratic Senator Tom Carper and Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The bill would improve the nation's aging water and wastewater infrastructure, support programs to provide safe drinking water and set aside grant funding for poor, rural and tribal communities that have struggled with poor water quality. In a statement applauding the passage of the bill, Carper said that the legislation "gets to the heart of President Biden's message to our nation last night," referring to the president's address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, when he urged lawmakers to come together to pass a comprehensive infrastructure package.