$1 trillion infrastructure bill advances in U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate voted to advance a $1 trillion infrastructure package on Saturday, an important procedural step forward after months of negotiations between President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators.

This report produced by Freddie Joyner.

In another rare weekend session, the U.S. Senate on Saturday voted to advance a $1 trillion infrastructure package - a procedural yet important step forward after months of negotiations between President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators.

The vote came after an impassioned plea from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“We can get this done the easy way or the hard way.

In either case, the Senate will stay in session until we finish our work.

It's up to my Republican colleagues how long it takes." Senators agreed to limit debate on the legislation, which represents the biggest investment in decades in America's physical infrastructure including roads, bridges, airports and waterways.

The chamber's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, also signaled support for the bill.

“I hope senators can work together in a bipartisan way to get more amendments up and continue improving this important bill.

Our colleagues on both sides deserve to be heard." The timing for passage remains unclear, as lawmakers prepare for possible votes on amendments and are working behind closed doors to reach an agreement that would allow the Senate to complete its work on the legislation quickly.

Passage would be a major victory for Schumer, Biden and a bipartisan group of senators who spent months crafting the package, and would send the bill on to the House of Representatives.

In a tweet Saturday, Biden wrote: "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a historic, once-in-a-generation investment in our nation's infrastructure…… We can't afford not to do it."