Thousands of bills circulate Congress each year, but the vast majority never cross the finish line. The Senate requires 60 votes to break a filibuster, which means it is difficult for legislation to make it to the president’s desk if it is not bipartisan.
In 2021, Congress passed over 70 bills that were signed into law. Though they often do not receive national attention, a significant amount of those bills received bipartisan support. Many of them revolved around issues such as veteran’s affairs or national security, on which there have historically been bipartisan agreement. Here is a look at seven notable pieces of bipartisan legislation passed through Congress in 2021.
1. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law on Nov. 15. It was one of the most high-profile legislative actions in 2021. The bill sent $1.2 trillion, including $550 billion in new funding, toward roads, bridges, railways, water, broadband, and more.
Infrastructure historically attracts broad support. Passing an infrastructure bill was a priority for both former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump. Notably, neither president was able to pass an infrastructure bill of this size.
The bill ultimately cleared the Senate with total Democratic support and 19 Republican votes. The bill also cleared the House with mostly Democratic support and 13 Republican votes. There were a few Democratic defections from progressives who wanted it paired with the social spending bill.
2. Juneteenth National Independence Day Act
June 19 became a national holiday in 2021 due to bipartisan legislation from Congress. The new holiday, known as Juneteenth, celebrates the day Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger announced that slaves were free in Texas, the last slave state in the Confederacy. This occurred on June 19, 1865, over two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly with 415 votes in favor, and it passed the Senate unanimously. President Biden signed the law into effect on June 17.
3. U.S. Innovation and Competition Act
The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act is a piece of bipartisan legislation that did not yet go into effect. It passed the Senate 68 to 32, with support from all Democrats and 18 Republicans, on June 6. For reasons that are not clear, the House has not yet considered the bill.
The bill includes over $100 billion in funding over a five-year period for advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, biotechnology, and more. The bill was widely perceived as being targeted against China.
As hinted in the title, the bill awarded gold medals — one to the Capitol Police and one to the Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. It also directed a metal to be sent to the Smithsonian Institute and to the U.S. Capitol, each with a plaque of the names of the officers who protected the Capitol on Jan. 6. The bill passed the House with 406 votes. It also cleared the Senate unanimously. President Joe Biden signed the bill on Aug. 5.
A key foreign policy issue lawmakers have been wrestling with concerns China’s treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. During the final days of the Trump administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referred to the situation as genocide. Current Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed with that assessment. The Chinese government firmly denies these allegations.
Congress has debated how the U.S. should respond but recently reached an agreement in mid-December.
The bill bans all imports from Xinjiang unless the U.S. government is able to determine that the imports were not made with forced labor. It passed the House with 428 votes and cleared the Senate unanimously.
In 2021, reports of the “Havana Syndrome” began to gain more attention from government officials. Some U.S. diplomatic, intelligence, and other government officials reported unusual cognitive and neurological issues during overseas assignments. The mysterious phenomenon was first reported in 2016, and reports mostly came from individuals working in Cuba, according to the bill.
The bill authorized multiple government agencies to compensate government workers for brain injuries. It passed the Senate with unanimous consent and the House with 427 votes. Biden signed the bill on Oct. 8.
7. Protecting Moms Who Served Act of 2021
2021 saw a number of bipartisan bills aimed at veterans, such as the Veterans and Family Information Act and the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act. This bill is notable because it sought to improve conditions for veterans seeking maternity care.
It called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide training and support for community maternity care providers in treating veterans. It also called on the Government Accountability Office to report on maternity conditions among veterans. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House with 414 votes. Biden signed the bill on Nov. 30.
This article was originally published by Washington Examiner. Read the original article.
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