Vox Sentences - Biden's Build Back Better tour

President Joe Biden hits the road to tout the recently passed infrastructure bill; Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping try to find common ground.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum.

Bridge over troubled water

Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

• President Joe Biden traveled to a structurally deficient bridge in New Hampshire Tuesday to make the case for the newly passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure law and his yet-to-pass Build Back Better Act, a larger social spending plan. [CBS / Melissa Quinn and Kathryn Watson] 
• The infrastructure measure includes more than half a billion dollars in new spending over the next five years to upgrade the country’s roads, bridges, and airways — a victory as Biden suffers the worst approval numbers of his presidency. [CNN / Kate Sullivan]
• For months, the infrastructure bill polled favorably among most Americans, but recent numbers suggest support is slipping among Republicans; The latest Politico/Morning Consult survey showed 50 percent support overall, down from 58 percent from mid-August when the bill was first signed. [Politico / Tara Palmeri, Eli Okun, and Garrett Ross]
• The president visited the 82-year-old bridge in the small town of Woodstock, which has been on New Hampshire’s red list for “structural deficiencies” since 2013, arguing that it is “like thousands of bridges across America” that could see much-needed repairs under the new infrastructure bill. [NBC / Rebecca Shabad]
• Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu — who supports the infrastructure bill and sent a letter Tuesday asking for more money for that state — greeted Biden at the airport. But Sununu’s letter also reflected some tensions Biden faces: The bill will do little to quickly tackle problems like inflation and supply chain disruptions. [AP / Colleen Long and Holly Ramer]
• Biden will visit a General Motors plant in Detroit on Wednesday for his next stop on the infrastructure tour to discuss electric vehicles. [Detroit Free Press / Todd Spangler]

Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold virtual talks

• President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met virtually for more than three hours Monday night. The two discussed increasing cooperation between the two countries to avoid major conflict, but didn’t break any new ground on how to do so. [NYT / Steven Lee Myers, David E. Sanger, Claire Fu, and Li You]
• The meeting between the two leaders — the first since Biden’s inauguration in January — began cordially, with Biden expressing hope that “competition between the countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended” and Xi Jinping remarking it was good to see his “old friend” Biden. [AP / Ken Moritsugu and Aamer Madhani]
• Biden and Jinping had a “healthy debate” on a number of contentious international issues, including Taiwanese independence, but also spoke candidly about areas of potential cooperation like addressing the climate crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. [NPR / John Ruwitch]
• In a statement released by Chinese state media following the meeting, Beijing struck a more serious tone, alleging that the US was “playing with fire” in its efforts to support Taiwanese independence. [BBC / Stephen McDonell]
• The Biden administration may soon announce a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games Beijing over China’s human rights abuses— a move that could further rile tensions with the world’s second-largest economy but would still allow American athletes to participate unimpeded. [Washington Post / Josh Rogin]

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Wyoming Republicans cut ties with Liz Cheney on Saturday for her criticism of Donald Trump, and called on national leaders to do the same. [Washington Post / Jonathan Edwards]

• Germany’s Federal Network Agency has suspended operations on the completed Nord Stream Pipeline that would’ve funneled gas directly from Russia citing missing paperwork. [New York Times / Melissa Eddy]
• On Tuesday, Pfizer requested FDA approval for its experimental anti-Covid pill which it says has shown 89 percent efficacy in clinical trials for preventing serious illness and hospitalization for at-risk patients. [NBC / Sara G. Miller]
• A judge has ruled against conservative radio host Alex Jones for failing to comply in a defamation case brought by families affected by the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. [CNN / Sarah Jorgensen]

“Ensuring that roads get built, bridges get repaired, and drinking water gets improved will be even more challenging given the economic challenges Washington seems oblivious to.” 

[New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu predicts challenges ahead for implementing the new infrastructure law in a letter to the Biden administration]

Dylan, German, and Jerusalem discuss possible exit strategies for the Covid-19 pandemic. [Spotify] 

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