'Biden's' $2 Trillion Social Infrastructure Investment Bill Passes First Hurdle

House Vote Completed... Senate Action Pending
Uncertain Outcome Due to Opposition Within Democratic Party

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a $2 trillion (approximately 2,380 trillion won) social infrastructure investment bill. It is a key project for President Joe Biden, but its passage in the Senate remains uncertain.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is celebrating after the passage of a $2 trillion social infrastructure investment bill.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 19th (local time), the House passed the bill with 220 votes in favor and 213 against. There was one defection from the Democratic Party, while all Republicans opposed it.

The bill, which invests in service expansion, healthcare support, elder and disabled care services, climate change response and eco-friendly investments, and immigration system reform, was passed after a series of twists and turns, including conflicts between progressives and centrists and Republican opposition, resulting in a reduction to about half of the original plan.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led the bill’s passage, emphasized, "If you are a parent, elderly, child, or worker, if you are an American, this bill is for you."

President Joe Biden welcomed the passage immediately after the House vote in a statement, saying, "We have taken another big step," emphasizing the recovery of the U.S. economy through rebuilding the middle class.

Unlike the $1.2 trillion infrastructure investment bill that passed both the Senate and House and was signed by President Biden, the social infrastructure bill faces clear opposition from Republicans and cannot be passed without the support of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin.

CNN reported, "The comprehensive economic legislation passed today is a core pillar of President Biden’s domestic agenda," but also noted, "It faces a difficult path in the Senate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.