A bipartisan infrastructure bill proves our democracy can still work

The group led by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has produced a package with $579 billion in new spending anchored by a down payment on rebuilding our roads, bridges and highways. It includes the surface transportation bill that was approved unanimously by a Senate committee last month and boosts funding for highways, roads and bridges to $300 billion — a more than 30 percent increase from what we previously spent. It will fix rail lines and improve public transit, easing congestion, cutting commute times, reducing emissions, and connecting people with new opportunities in nearby cities and towns. It will reduce bottlenecks by expanding port and airport capacity, and it will build out electric vehicle infrastructure and modernize our electric grid.