Those grapevine reports that Republicans would unveil a $600 to $800 billion counterproposal to the American Jobs Plan.
Another Big Lie.
Republicans released a $568 billion infrastructure proposal that would fund:
$299 billion for roads and bridges.
$65 billion for broadband.
$61 billion for public transit.
$44 billion for airports.
$35 billion for drinking water and wastewater systems.
$20 billion for railways (it would be interesting if high-speed rail is included.)
$17 billion for ports and inland waterways.
$14 billion for water storage.
$13 billion for safety measures.
While the above areas do indeed warrant infrastructure investment (yesterday) and are included in the Biden/Harris American Jobs Plan, what about the other major components of the Administration Proposal.
Money for school construction and renovations: 0
Money for renovating Veterans Administration Care Facilities: 0
Money for Home Care to take care of the vulnerable elderly and disabled: 0
Money to create electric car charging stations: 0
Money to fund tax credits for electric/hybrid vehicle and clean energy investments: 0
Money for retrofitting and constructing homes and business complexes that are energy efficient: 0
It seems the Republican proposal, with the possible exception of funding broadband expansion, does not fund any future education (children are the future,) technology or clean energy infrastructure priorities.
That is ironic considering they released this proposal on Earth Day. Can we say face slapping.
It would also say screw you to the Nation's elderly, disabled, and veterans.
How would Republicans pay for their infrastructure proposal?
By raising taxes on corporations and individuals or families that make over $400,000.
Do not be silly.
Republicans want to pay for it by:
- Increasing user fees like increasing gas taxes.
- Allocating unused funding from previous Coronavirus relief packages.
In other words, they want to stick the financial costs on everyone but the rich.
The Republican Infrastructure Proposal despite West Virginia's Republican Senator Shelly Capito saying "is a serious attempt to offer a serious robust, the most robust plan we've put forward as Americans," is an insult.
It is not even a quarter of the Biden/Harris Proposal and it is less than what Republicans said they would propose.
With the exception of broadband, it does not fund the infrastructure of tomorrow.
The Middle and Lower classes get most of the financial pain of paying for it when they go to the gas pump.
The Shelly Capitio and Chris Coons Suggestion
In a normal world when there are two functioning political party's, this is when both sides would gather and formulate a compromise between the two infrastructure proposals.
In fact, several Senators from both the Democrats and Republicans have signaled that approach.
So has President Biden on numerous occasions.
One suggestion put forth by both Capito and supported by Delaware Senator Chris Coons is to divide the infrastructure bill into two portions.
The first one that focuses on all the areas Democrats and Republicans could agree upon will be the bill that goes through on a bipartisan vote.
The second bill would go through the reconciliation route and include everything left out of the first bill the Democrats want and the Republicans do not support.
The questions on that are will Republicans be functional and support this approach.
There is a legitimate concern that those not aligned to Capito and other "moderates" would try to stymie a two package approach by not providing the ten votes necessary to pass the bipartisan package.
Another is do the Democrats have the votes of all 50 of their Senators to pass their priorities only measure?
Joe Manchin, West Virginia's Democratic Senator has been all over the place with regards to what he will support funding.
One moment, he expresses support for funding $4 trillion in new infrastructure spending.
In another moment, he is urging a "more focused" bipartisan compromise that would be somewhere between the Republican and Administration proposals.
Perhaps this is simply a case of what someone would ideally want as opposed to what is realistically feasible.
At least Manchin is in favor of raising the corporate tax rate (to 25 percent) and is a firm no to raising the gas tax.
Democrats must make sure all 50 of their members are on board with this Capito-Coons idea before moving forward.
Modernizing and revitalizing the nation's infrastructure is a major step toward finally bringing this nation into the Twenty-First Century.
It needs to get done yesterday.
If Republicans can not move from their insulting and pitiful first proposal and continue to obstruct efforts to rebuild the country, Democrats need to proceed by themselves through the reconciliation process.
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