"Senators are offering early optimism that they can find common ground and pass an infrastructure package later this year.

It's expected to be the next big project now that Democrats have passed their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package. President Biden will sign it tomorrow and deliver a prime-time speech tonight on what's next.

Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) yesterday reiterated that the foundation of the package will be a surface transportation bill he hopes to clear though his committee by the end of May. He expects it to then be combined with other infrastructure bills and become law by the end of September.

"There are a lot of things we disagree on here in our nation's capital, one of the things where there's broad agreement is to get to work on surface transportation," Carper told reporters today."

George Cahlink and Emma Dumain report for E&E News March 11, 2021. [2]