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5 stories to read about the bipartisan infrastructure deal

Senators in a meeting

Senators held bipartisan discussions this week on an infrastructure deal.

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

A bipartisan group of senators announced Thursday they had reached an agreement on a potential infrastructure package, but it is still a long way from crossing the finish line.

After days of hand-wringing over the future of the For the People Act, this was a welcome end to the week.

Here are five stories to catch you up on the latest developments:


10 Senators Say They Agree On Infrastructure 'Framework' — But There Are Few Details (WKAR)

Here's what we know about the bipartisan infrastructure deal (CNN)

Democrats wary of emerging bipartisan infrastructure deal (The Hill)

Bipartisan Group of Senators Say They Reached Agreement on Infrastructure Plan (The New York Times)

Ten Senate Democrats and Republicans say they reached five-year, nearly $1 trillion infrastructure deal (The Washington Post)

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Federal employees sound off
Government shutdown
wildpixel/Getty Images

Fulcrum Roundtable: Government Shutdown

Welcome to the Fulcrum Roundtable.

The program offers insights and discussions about some of the most talked-about topics from the previous month, featuring Fulcrum’s collaborators.

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ENDING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF NON-GOVERNING
people holding a signage during daytime
Photo by Liam Edwards on Unsplash

ENDING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF NON-GOVERNING

“We the People” know our government is not working. For decades, Americans have said they want leaders who work together, confront problems honestly, and make decisions that push the country forward. Yet the officials we send to Washington keep repeating the same self-defeating patterns—polarization, gridlock, shutdowns, and an almost complete inability to address the nation’s biggest challenges.

The result is a governing culture that cannot resolve problems, allowing them instead to grow, intensify, and metastasize. Issues don’t disappear when ignored—they become harder, more expensive, and more politically explosive to solve.

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Vice President J.D. Vance’s Tiebreaking Senate Votes, 2025

U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks to members of the US military on November 26, 2025 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Vice President visited Fort Campbell to serve a Thanksgiving meal to service members ahead of the holiday.

Getty Images, Brett Carlsen

Vice President J.D. Vance’s Tiebreaking Senate Votes, 2025

On issues including tariffs, taxes, public media like PBS and NPR, and Pete Hegseth’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense, Vice President J.D. Vance broke seven tied Senate votes this year.

Here’s a breakdown of Vance’s seven tiebreaking votes.

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Military Spectacle and Presidential Power: From Parade to Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 08, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Military Spectacle and Presidential Power: From Parade to Policy

On June 14, I wrote Raining on Trump’s Military Parade, an article about the Washington, D.C. military parade that marked both the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. The event revived debates about the politicization of military spectacle, fiscal priorities, and democratic norms. Six months later, those same themes are resurfacing in new forms — not on the National Mall, but in Congress, the courts, and foreign policy.

The House of Representatives passed the roughly $900 billion military policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, in a bipartisan vote of 312-112 on Wednesday. The bill now heads to the Senate for approval. Key provisions of the legislation include:

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