Finally, at long last, some rare bipartisanship in Washington, with Friday night’s House of Representative’s 228-206 passing of president Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, ending both GOP and Democrat opposition. Ironically the winning side had to overcome a large phalanx of progressive Democrats (who obviously know little about the fine art of compromising) to get it done. The bill was sent to Biden’s desk last night for his long-awaited signature, as the Senate had already approved it (another bipartisan vote) 69-30 in August.

The “yeas” received 13 House Republican votes and 199 against. This is what passes for “bipartisanship” these days but is still a far better result than the Democrat side can usually expect on most other issues. And the importance of this measure passing first before the “Part Two” $1.85 trillion “Build Back Better” social safety net initiative seemed to have been lost on many progressives, including the 6 Democrats who unsuccessfully voted against the infrastructure bill last night.

The importance and necessity of this infrastructure initiative cannot be overstated, especially after the tremendous toll on America and the world that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused. Billions of dollars are now earmarked for the construction and repair of our roads, bridges and railroads. Climate change initiatives include $73 billion for the modernization of our electricity grid, $150 billion for clean energy advancement, and strong financial enhancement for new wind and solar power plants, in geographic proximity with our most-populated areas. Broadband Internet access, so important both for our businesses and student population, will be augmented by a $65 billion influx that will increase access in our rural areas and give a federal discount for low-income families. And millions of new jobs, mainly for construction workers and tradesmen, will also be created to accomplish these massive changes and improvements.

The social programs bill still being hashed out has and will take far longer to pass due to the usual GOP blanket opposition, in sharp contrast to the Democrat side quickly approving former president Donald Trump’s spending bills last year. So much for both bills being passed on the same weekend, as most Democrats were hoping for. The main sticking point with “Build Back Better” is the 2 centrist Democrat senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who are awaiting an upcoming Congressional Budget Office cost approximation before agreeing to approve. Those 2 votes are necessary as the Senate Republican side is unanimously against its passage. The House vote, which will take place before the Senate one, won’t happen until later in November at the earliest.

Joe Biden, the Democrat Party and the nation as a whole were in urgent need of last night’s bill’s passage. The bickering and infighting occurring all year with both House and Senate Democrats has been unseemly, caused in part by their slim majorities in both groups but also due to wide gulfs of differing opinions among the more partisan members. Losing the Virginia governorship, and thankfully just holding onto the New Jersey one last week didn’t help their cause either.

But for now, let’s rejoice. One big one down, and another big one to go. And we’re still far from closing out Biden’s first year in office, an eventful and, in many ways, fruitful one to be sure.