Infrastructure bill debate begins - Amazon union revisited - Afghan refugee program

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act clocked in at some 2,700 pages after a rare weekend session. The final product was intended to follow the broad outline a bipartisan group of senators had negotiated for weeks with the White House. Senate Majority Leader Schumer said a final vote could be held [within days]. The outcome will set the stage for the next debate over Biden’s more ambitious $3.5 trillion package.
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It is being financed from funding sources that might not pass muster with deficit hawks, including repurposing some $205 billion in untapped COVID-19 relief aid, as well as unemployment assistance that was turned back by some states and relying on projected future economic growth.
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As the amendment process gets underway, senators are weighing how much to try to change the package and how hard to try, knowing it will be difficult to reach the 60-vote threshold to approve any substantial changes. Last week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bill.