Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday that the $1 trillion infrastructure bill backed by the White House has at least 10 Republican senators, suggesting the measure will clear the 60-vote filibuster.
Collins, in a comment on CNN’s “State of the Union,” said the bill has enough support to pass in the chamber this week.
“I think we will be able to lay down the bill later today and begin perhaps consideration of some amendments,” Collins said. “My hope is that we’ll finish the bill by the end of the week.”
For weeks, some Republican and Democrat senators have negotiated over the bill after President Joe Biden came out and publicly backed the measure, which includes funding for new bridges, roads, public transportation, water pipes, and broadband Internet.
Senators voted 66-28 last week to move the bill forward, although the final legislative text hasn’t yet been released. On Sunday, Collins said that some parts of the text were shared with senators in recent days.
“This bill is good for America,” Collins remarked. “Every senator can look at bridges and roads and need for more broadband, waterways in their state, seaports, and airports, and see the benefits, the very concrete benefits—no pun intended—of this legislation.”
The Maine senator said she expects the bill to be introduced and passed this week.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told the same CNN program on Sunday that he expects the final text of the bill to be available on Sunday, which will allow the upper chamber to consider the bill as early as Sunday night with a final passage by later this week.
But whether the bill gets taken up in the House, which is controlled by Democrats, is another question.
Some Democrats in the Senate and House said the infrastructure bill should not be passed unless a massive $3.5 trillion bill that includes climate and social programs is guaranteed. Republicans are vehemently opposed to the measure, pointing to its price tag amid a rise in inflation.
