JIMMIE JOHNSON: FOR THOSE UNSURE WHETHER WE SHOULD SPEND TRILLIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, HURRICANE IDA BROUGHT IT ALL HOME. SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF PEOPLE’S LIVING ROOMS!

SEWERS CLOGGED, OLD BRIDGES COLLAPSED, ROADS WASHED OUT, POWER GRIDS CRUMBLED, AND PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES.

MEANWHILE, LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN DEBATING OVER WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS NEEDED. 

AND WHEN THEY COULDN’T AGREE ON WHAT CONSTITUTES INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY BROKE IT DOWN INTO TWO PARTS. 

TRADITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE. 

THE TRADITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL COSTS ONE-POINT-TWO TRILLION DOLLARS. IT HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. 

BUT THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE DEMOCRATS EXPECT TO ADDRESS HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, AS PART OF THE 3.5 TRILLION DOLLAR SPENDING BILL.

THAT PRICE TAG CUTS STRAIGHT DOWN PARTY LINES.

NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS: “$3.5 trillion of so-called Human Infrastructure. What I can tell you is human infrastructure is not going to do a got damn thing for my constituents that have seen flooding in their basements, streets flooding. What we need is true, real infrastructure.”

JIMMIE: SO, EXACTLY WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE?

LET ME EXPLAIN. 

FIRST, LET’S START WITH TRADITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES, ROADS, BRIDGES, AND PUBLIC TRANSIT WERE AMONG THE KEY COMPONENTS O F AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.

THE CURRENT BILL WILL ALSO ENSURE ALL AMERICANS HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER BY REPLACING LEAD PIPES. 

THE PLAN ALSO ADDS ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, BUILDS UP BROADBAND INTERNET, AND IMPROVES THE NATION’S POWER GRID. 

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN HE TOURED THE DEVASTATION LEFT BEHIND FROM HURRICANE IDA AND MADE THE CASE FOR ‘HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE’ AS WELL.  

BIDEN:” There’s nothing political about this. It’s about saving lives.”

JIMMIE: SO WHAT IS HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE?

THE PHRASE HAS BEEN USED IN ACADEMIC CIRCLES FOR DECADES. 

LATELY, IT’S BEEN USED BY PROGRESSIVES TO BUILD UP EXISTING SERVICES.

PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE KEY SERVICE THAT SUPPORTS TODAY’S ECONOMY. LIKE EDUCATION, HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE. 

BIDEN: ”To truly build the economy from the bottom out and the middle out, to truly deal everybody in this time, we need to invest in our people, we need to invest in our people.”

JIMMIE: LET’S LOOK AT EDUCATION.

THIS BILL WILL PROVIDE FUNDING FOR UNIVERSAL PRE-K AND CHILDCARE FOR WORKING FAMILIES, TUITION-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PROVIDE INVESTMENT IN MINORITY UNIVERSITIES, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS. 

WITH HOUSING. 

THE MONEY WILL HELP CREATE NEW AND MAINTAIN EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PROVIDE HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO WOULDN’T OTHERWISE QUALIFY, AND CREATE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. 

NEXT, HEALTHCARE. 

THE RESOURCES WILL HELP EXPAND MEDICARE, EXTEND THE CHILD TAX CREDIT PROGRAM, AND OFFER FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE.

IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR NURSING HOMES. 

AND AS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, BIDEN SAYS FUNDING WILL HELP U-S-LED AGENCIES TRANSITION FROM USING FOSSIL FUELS TO CLEAN ENERGY IN SECTORS LIKE AGRICULTURE, TRANSPORTATION, AND WATER MANAGEMENT. 

ARE DEMOCRATS OVERSTRETCHING THE DEFINITION OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR ARE REPUBLICANS OVERREACTING? 

LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND BE SURE TO RATE THIS STORY USING OUR BIAS METER.