Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Moving Forward With Consideration Of Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding moving forward with the bipartisan infrastructure bill including the consideration of the first tranche of bipartisan amendments.  Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Yesterday evening, as everyone knows, the group of bipartisan Senators working on infrastructure finished the text of the bill. I immediately moved to make that text the base of the bill here on the floor, as promised.

Last night, Democrats offered to begin the amendment process right away. There are three bipartisan amendments to the bill that we are ready to consider. Two are led by Republicans: a Rounds-Smith Amendment and a Thune-Tester Amendment. And another from Senators Padilla and Moran.

Let me be clear, these three amendments would constitute only the first tranche of potential amendments. The Senate can and should consider more afterwards.

I would encourage Senators from both sides of the aisle to submit potential amendments to the bill. And as we have already done several times this year—on the Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill and the US Innovation and Competition Act, just to name two examples—the majority will work with the minority to put together packages of amendments for the Senate to vote on.

At the moment, we need consent from our Republican colleagues to start the amendment process and we await their answer.

I hope that we can use our time in the Senate efficiently. Let’s start voting on amendments. The longer it takes to finish the bill, the longer we’ll be here.

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