All Tennesseans benefit from infrastructure bill approval
Republican and Democratic cooperation proved critical
The approval of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill is a win for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.
This is a strong reminder that while there are many polarizing issues in the U.S., infrastructure tends to unite us. All citizens require safe roads for work, commerce and personal travel. This is an issue of national security and domestic concern that required a solution.
Republicans and Democrats needed to work together to make it happen and steer as much as $7 billion to the State of Tennessee.
Tennessee's 11-member congressional delegation should have been united behind the measure, but only the two Democrats, Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville and Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis, voted “aye,” which is disappointing.
Remember the lessons of the IMPROVE Act
The nine Republicans should have remembered the lessons of 2017 when bipartisan cooperation is what ensured passage of the largest roads and bridges infrastructure state investment in a generation.
This federal infrastructure bill is an extension of the state law known as the IMPROVE Act.
Republican and Democratic cooperation proved critical to passing this landmark legislation.
Even with a super majority in the Tennessee General Assembly, the GOP had enough “no” votes in the state House of Representatives to tank former Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's measure without help from the opposition.
The legislation was instrumental to start catching up on a massive roads and bridges construction and repair backlog. And the measure passed 25-6 in the state Senate and 67-21 in the state House, where the opponents were primarily Republican lawmakers.
How bipartisanship was critical to passing federal infrastructure bill
The same scenario played out this year when Democrats with majority control of Congress needed Republicans in the House and Senate to cross the aisle and approve the historic $1.2 trillion infrastructure legislation.
Without 19 votes from Senate Republicans on Aug. 10, the measure would have been dead in that chamber because of filibuster rules requiring a super majority to get a floor vote. Democrats only have a 51-50 majority with Vice President Kamala Harris as president of the Senate.
Thirteen Republicans joined Democrats for the 228-206 approval in the House on Nov. 5. Six Democrats defected and, without GOP help, the bill would have died on the floor.
This legislation charts a course for a zero-carbon future in transportation with investments in electric vehicles.
That has a direct effect on Tennessee, which recently announced the largest jobs investment in state history through Ford Motor Company's decision to build a manufacturing hub for electric trucks at the Memphis Regional Megasite.
In addition, the bill expands 21st century infrastructure: broadband, which has long been a desire of politicians on both sides of the aisle.
Remember, former President Donald Trump, a Republican, signed a commitment on Jan. 8, 2018 to expand broadband to rural and other underserved areas at a ceremony at Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.
The massive infrastructure measure pushed by President Joe Biden is a win for Tennessee that fixes roads and bridges, expands broadband and builds Tennessee's future across the three Grand Divisions, be it Collierville, Columbia or Crossville.
Congress did the right thing and it is a victory for all Tennesseans.
Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas wrote this editorial on behalf of the USA TODAY Network Tennessee editors: Michael A. Anastasi, Maria De Varenne, Mark Russell, Joel Christopher, Gary Estwick and Mealand Ragland-hudgins.