The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a discussion on the federal response to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in transportation and infrastructure sectors on Thursday.
Watch the hearing in the player above.
Senators are racing to seal a bipartisan infrastructure deal, as pressure is mounting on all sides to show progress on President Joe Biden’s top priority.
One major roadblock is how much money should go to public transit.
But spending on highways, water projects, broadband and others areas remains unresolved, as is whether to take unspent COVID-19 relief funds to help pay for the infrastructure.
The White House wants a bipartisan agreement for this first phase, but as talks drag on anxious Democrats, who have slim control of the House and Senate, could leave Republicans behind and try to go it alone.
If it fails, it could be wrapped into the broader package of Biden’s priorities that Democrats are hoping to pass later.
The bipartisan package includes about $600 billion in new spending on public works projects.
Democrats want to see more of the money go toward boosting public transportation, which includes subways, light-rail lines and buses, in line with Biden’s original infrastructure proposal and the push to address climate change.
