Hawkeye Reporter

Delegates in Iowa are split across parties in regards to President Biden’s new infrastructure agenda.

While both Republican and Democratic Iowa delegates are in agreement that the infrastructure investment bill proposed by Biden should move forward, individual parts of the bill are still causing disagreement across parties, according to the Daily Iowan. 

“It’s the same “the sky is falling” rhetoric happening re: Biden’s infrastructure agenda. I wish the media would report accurately and sedately, but that probably wouldn’t sell subscriptions,” said Twitter user Iowa COVID-19 Tracke:r Sara Anne Willette in a tweet on Sunday.

Specifically, Republicans and Democrats are split on the Build Back Better Act, with Republicans hoping that Democrats will agree to move forward with the bipartisan infrastructure bill but will drop the larger social spending package. Originally, Biden’s proposal called for $3.5 trillion to be used for child care, free community college, climate change action, paid family leave, and more, but even moderate Democrats pushed for a lower price tag, according to the Daily Iowan. 

In August, the U.S. Senate passed an infrastructure bill passed worth $1.2T, but Democrats in the House are declining to vote on the bill until the bigger $3.5T bill passes as well. The smaller $1.2T infrastructure bill passed in the Senate on Aug. 10, with a vote of 69-30, according to Iowa State Daily.