Susan Collins: Infrastructure bill has enough Republican support to pass in Senate

Sen. Susan Collins predicted Sunday that the bipartisan infrastructure package will have enough Republican support to pass the chamber this week.

“I think we will be able to lay down the bill later today and begin perhaps consideration of some amendments,” the Maine Republican said on CNN’s “State of the Union” ahead of senators’ expected return to session Sunday afternoon. “My hope is that we’ll finish the bill by the end of the week.”

Senators have haggled for weeks over the bipartisan infrastructure package, which includes $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, public transit and broadband.

Collins told CNN host Jake Tapper that she anticipated the bill would garner the necessary support from at least 10 Republicans to meet a 60-vote threshold for passage.

Senators voted 66-28 last week on a procedural vote to move forward on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The final legislative text has not yet been released, although Collins said Sunday that “large parts of text” were already shared with Senate offices and lawmakers had worked overnight to finish up the spending provisions of the bill.

“This bill is good for America,” Collins said. “Every senator can look at bridges and roads and need for more broadband, waterways in their state, seaports and airports, and see the benefits, the very concrete benefits, no pun intended, of this legislation.”