Joe Biden warned China would benefit if the US did not invest in infrastructure

Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that China will take the lead if the United States does not make a determined bet to invest in infrastructure, and assured that the plan he proposes can create “millions of well-paid jobs” in his country.

The US president defended the infrastructure plan at an event in the town of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in which he stressed that the plan involves the “investment of a generation” so that the United States can compete with the rest of the world.

It was then that he realized that China was working “ahead” of the United States in terms of infrastructure.

Biden turned to the Asian giant again at another point in his speech in which he said China is producing full-speed electric vehicles to a greater extent than any other country in the world and It is also well ahead of the United States in research and development investment.

The American President recalled that on a day like today, 65 years ago, then President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law creating the interstate road network and that since then in this country he has not There has not been such an ambitious investment in infrastructure.

That’s why he insisted demand a comprehensive deal from Democrats and Republicans that ensures approval of the infrastructure plan.

Biden made the speech at a time when he faces the challenge of saving the deal he struck last week with a group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers to pass the plan. He plans to invest $ 1.2 trillion in infrastructure over eight years.

After the deal was announced on Thursday, enthusiasm was diluted by discontent on both sides.

Biden and Democrats want the infrastructure proposal to be tied to a social spending plan, which includes investments in broadband, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for children and the elderly, among others.

However, Republicans wish that the project is limited to traditional infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and ports, and they reject that it is linked to social spending.

During the presentation of the bipartisan agreement on Thursday, Biden warned that he would not sign the infrastructure plan which can be approved in Congress if it is not linked to the social spending plan.

However, on Saturday he had to step back and make it clear that he would sign him in the face of the danger that the Conservatives would withdraw their support.

Many within the Republican ranks have asked for time to study the recently concluded deal, and hardly any have commented on Democrats’ plans to unilaterally adopt a spending program and adhere to the infrastructure one.

However, one of the Republican senators who negotiated with Biden said he spoke with his party leader in the Senate, Mitch mcconnell, and told her he was open to considering the recently concluded infrastructure pact, which gave the White House hope.

The plan would include new infrastructure investments worth $ 579,000 million, including $ 312,000 million that would go to the transport sector for projects of roads, bridges, railways, electric buses, ports and airports, among others.

The proposal also includes $ 266 billion in new investments for “other infrastructure”, such as the water supply system, broadband and mitigating the impact of the climate crisis.

“This bipartite agreement represents the largest investment in public transportation in US history,” Biden said last week during a White House speech.

(With information from EFE)

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