Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan Seeks Support
A group of five Democrat and five Republican senators brokered a bipartisan infrastructure plan totalling nearly $1 trillion dollars and are now looking to sell the idea to their colleagues and President Biden.
The previously proposed infrastructure plans, including the original American Jobs Plan and the two GOP-proposed plans, all addressed similar elements of infrastructure; however, the plans differed in the terms and figures, specifically where the funds were going to come from.
While President Biden has repeatedly called for bipartisanship, talks between himself and a group of GOP leaders recently failed to find any.
According to an article by Tony Romm for The Washington Post, “some Democrats already have expressed discomfort with the early details of the nearly $1 trillion, five-year package, arguing it should be bigger and more robust in scope.”
The group will also find trouble garnering support from the other side of the aisle as well. According to the article by Romm, Republicans have also “signaled there may not be widespread support for it within their own party.”
The senators in the group understand the challenge ahead and hope to be able to convince their party members to see the benefits of the plan.
“We’re talking to folks, one by one, and just asking folks to be open,” said Senator Mitt Romney, as quoted in the article by Romm.
While full details have not yet been released, so far the bipartisan infrastructure plan calls for about $974 billion in spending over the next five years.
