Some in the Blue Party view the opposition initiative as a good starting point for talks, while others dismiss it as “totally inappropriate,” in the face of Biden’s controversial plan.
The president’s plan provides for $ 2.3 billion to modernize roads and bridges, electricity services, internet broadband access, and some social programs.
The so-called centrists, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, a close ally of Biden, see the advantage of passing the mini-infrastructure package with Republican votes and then approving the remainder of the presidential proposal amount only by blue ballot, Hill adds. .
“I think that’s a starting point for the discussions,” said Senator Mark Warner, one of the 10 Democratic mediators who met with 10 moderate Republicans on Thursday to discuss common ground on a number of issues.
For her part, White House press secretary Jane Psaki said that the administration welcomes the Republican opposition proposal and considers it the beginning of the discussion.
But other Democrats are not interested in delaying action on two-thirds of Biden’s infrastructure proposal until later in the year, when the political dynamics are different.
This group fears that it may be more difficult to maintain the party unity of the Blue Party in the 50-member Senate in a subsequent spending package if domestic benefit proposals such as funding for roads, railways, bridges and airports are withdrawn.
The White House president has insisted in recent weeks that he favors a bipartisan agreement, but he and his allies have made clear that they are willing to pass a bill without Republican approval if needed to achieve their priorities.
This so-called “US jobs plan” for infrastructure investment, introduced by Biden, would increase corporate taxes and remove tax breaks on fossil fuels to allocate more than $ 2 trillion to improving roads, combating climate change and enhancing human services.
In this important legislative proposal Biden submitted a few days before arriving in office 100 days, many members of Congress from both parties agree on the need to invest significant resources to develop key sectors of the economy, but they disagree about the total amount that it really is. Necessary, as well as the inclusion of projects for social services. agp / rgh
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