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30 June 2021

Joe Biden’s infrastructure deal fails to match the climate threat

The US president can prioritise bipartisan cooperation or the climate crisis but not both. 

By Emily Tamkin

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks outside the White House with a bipartisan group of senators after meeting on an infrastructure deal June 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. From left to right are Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). . Biden said both sides made compromises on the nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“We have a deal,” US President Joe Biden announced on 24 June.

Finally, after months of cajoling and negotiating, Biden secured bipartisan support for his infrastructure deal. Senators agreed on $579bn in new spending, the president told reporters outside the White House. The majority – $312bn – would go to infrastructure, $65bn to broadband, and $55bn to water. (Only $15bn would go to electric vehicle infrastructure and transit.)

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