WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ohio’s U.S. senators came together Tuesday to support the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that the Senate passed, but they couldn’t be further apart on a separate spending bill that will be taken up next.
What You Need To Know
- Ohio’s Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown voted for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal
- The senators are divided over a separate $3.5 trillion reconciliation package
- Ohio could receive at least $11 billion for infrastructure
- Both packages are weeks away from becoming law
In the lead-up to Tuesday’s vote, Republican Sen. Rob Portman and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown each took to the Senate floor to applaud the bipartisan deal.
“To me, not only does this investment make sense, but importantly, what we are doing here today also demonstrates to the American people that we can get our act together on a bipartisan basis and get something done,” Portman said Tuesday afternoon.
The day prior, Brown said, “We’re putting in place a clear, comprehensive standard: American taxpayer dollars should support American jobs, period.”
Assuming the U.S. House passes the legislation in the coming weeks, it’s estimated to send more than $11 billion to Ohio for highways, public transportation, bridges and more.
But early Wednesday morning, the Senate voted to begin building a separate spending package that Portman and Brown strongly disagree on.
The proposal would pump an additional $3.5 trillion into the economy for what Democrats call “human infrastructure” measures like child care and immigration.
But Republicans don’t consider it infrastructure and feel it’s wasteful spending.
“I cannot support partisan legislation that would destroy jobs and harm our economy, and for that reason I vote no on this reckless tax and spending plan,” Portman said in a statement released after the overnight vote.
In an interview last week, Brown said he considers the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package necessary because voters want more, and he thinks they won’t mind Democrats forcing it through without Republican support, which the reconciliation process allows.
“Nobody knows or cares who votes for it and whether it’s partisan or not, they just want to see it get done,” Brown said.
It will be weeks until either of the packages becomes law, so Ohio won’t be seeing the money any time soon.
The Senate is now on recess until mid-September while the House will briefly come back at the end of August for votes on the budget resolution, but isn’t expected to touch the bipartisan infrastructure deal until September.
