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Diamond Member
A group of Republican and Democratic moderates in the Senate are circling around a compromise infrastructure spending proposal that would cost around $800 billion — a sum that falls well short of what most Democrats want and what President Biden has proposed.
At the end of March, Biden unveiled $2.25 trillion proposal dubbed the "American Jobs Plan" focused on updating roads, bridges and public transit, along with funding to fight climate change and other provisions to prop up American families.
The president proposed raising the corporate tax rate to fund the bill, a measure that both Republicans and moderate Democrats have bristled at.
And while moderate Republicans and Democrats have agreed to come together to write a leaner proposal, some GOP members have signaled $800 billion may still be too much, while Democrats are more apt to push for a higher price tag.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) is leading the push for a compromise proposal that she says could fall in the range of $600 billion to $800 billion over five years.
“I said between $600 billion and $800 billion, that is very ballpark-y,” Capito, the ranking Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said Wednesday, citing spending on expanding broadband and port infrastructure.
Other GOP moderates say Capito's figure is a good starting point.
“I’m going to be getting a presentation from Sen. Capito next week … but certainly I think $800 billion would be a great package," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
The West Virginia Republican got a boost Thursday when Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a key Biden ally, endorsed her spending target.
“I talked to Sen. Capito yesterday. The path forward that I’m seeing and that I’m working for is one where we take up and pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill, one that focuses on areas where the parties really agree,” he said in a CNN interview. “That could end up being an $800 billion to $1 trillion bipartisan bill.”
Coons told reporters in an interview later Thursday that it would be smart to pass a scaled-down bipartisan infrastructure bill first and then take up the remaining priorities on Biden’s infrastructure agenda in a second bill that could pass the Senate under budget reconciliation, a process that would only require Democratic votes.
thehill.com
My problem with this is: "a second bill that could pass the Senate under budget reconciliation, a process that would only require Democratic votes." I don't like that part. I think part of the deal has to be no reconciliation later, whatever they agree on is the end of it at least this year. I think it's good that moderate Repubs and Dems can work together to get something done, but getting a compromise and then pushing through the rest of what you want is kinda cheating. Especially since there is some disagreement about what infrastructure really means.
At the end of March, Biden unveiled $2.25 trillion proposal dubbed the "American Jobs Plan" focused on updating roads, bridges and public transit, along with funding to fight climate change and other provisions to prop up American families.
The president proposed raising the corporate tax rate to fund the bill, a measure that both Republicans and moderate Democrats have bristled at.
And while moderate Republicans and Democrats have agreed to come together to write a leaner proposal, some GOP members have signaled $800 billion may still be too much, while Democrats are more apt to push for a higher price tag.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) is leading the push for a compromise proposal that she says could fall in the range of $600 billion to $800 billion over five years.
“I said between $600 billion and $800 billion, that is very ballpark-y,” Capito, the ranking Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said Wednesday, citing spending on expanding broadband and port infrastructure.
Other GOP moderates say Capito's figure is a good starting point.
“I’m going to be getting a presentation from Sen. Capito next week … but certainly I think $800 billion would be a great package," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
The West Virginia Republican got a boost Thursday when Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a key Biden ally, endorsed her spending target.
“I talked to Sen. Capito yesterday. The path forward that I’m seeing and that I’m working for is one where we take up and pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill, one that focuses on areas where the parties really agree,” he said in a CNN interview. “That could end up being an $800 billion to $1 trillion bipartisan bill.”
Coons told reporters in an interview later Thursday that it would be smart to pass a scaled-down bipartisan infrastructure bill first and then take up the remaining priorities on Biden’s infrastructure agenda in a second bill that could pass the Senate under budget reconciliation, a process that would only require Democratic votes.
Moderates' $800B infrastructure bill is a tough sell with Democrats
A group of Republican and Democratic moderates in the Senate are circling around a compromise infrastructure spending proposal that would cost around $800 billion — a sum that falls well short of what most Democrats want and what President Biden h
My problem with this is: "a second bill that could pass the Senate under budget reconciliation, a process that would only require Democratic votes." I don't like that part. I think part of the deal has to be no reconciliation later, whatever they agree on is the end of it at least this year. I think it's good that moderate Repubs and Dems can work together to get something done, but getting a compromise and then pushing through the rest of what you want is kinda cheating. Especially since there is some disagreement about what infrastructure really means.
