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Sen. Portman Touts Bipartisanship At Infrastructure Bill Signing

 Sen. Rob Portman speaking at the White House ahead of President Biden signing the $1.2 trillion spending bill.
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Sen. Rob Portman speaking at the White House ahead of President Biden signing the $1.2 trillion spending bill.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman was one of 19 republicans to vote “yes” on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure billPresident Joe Biden signed into law Monday. Portman broke with some of his party in voting for the bill.

Portman said bipartisanship got the deal done.

Speaking at the White House, Portman said the spending package will have a lasting impact for all Americans.

“Core infrastructure is what this law is all about. It’s about roads and bridges and rail and transit and ports and airports and water systems, the electric grid, broadband, and more,” he said.

The bill includes billions of dollars for projects across Ohio, including funding to repair the Brent Spence Bridgeconnecting his hometown of Cincinnati to Kentucky.

“We’ve been trying to do it for 25 years. But we haven’t been able to pull together the funding and figure out how to do it," Portman said. "This new law finally gives us the tools we need for us to fix the Brent Spence Bridge. And the same is true for major projects all around the country.”

Portman said he and fellow Republicans were able to support the bill only after social spending increases and tax hikes were removed.

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Mark has been a host, reporter and producer at several NPR member stations in Delaware, Alaska, Washington and Kansas. His reporting has taken him everywhere from remote islands in the Bering Sea to the tops of skyscrapers overlooking Puget Sound. He is a diehard college basketball fan who enjoys taking walks with his dog, Otis.