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Pivoting on the victory of a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief program, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday announced the next Democratic-controlled congressional priority: infrastructure.
“Congress must work quickly to build on the historic Biden American Rescue Plan. Our stimulus plan must build back better for the people in every zip code by creating well-paying jobs for the future,” the California Democrat said in a press release. “To this end, I called on the presidents of the jurisdictional committees to work with their Republican counterparts to develop a vast set of bold and transformative infrastructures.”
Pelosi met with the heads of the committees that will prepare the package on Thursday.
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Pelosi said the bill will deal with infrastructure and also address “other critical needs in energy and broadband, education and housing, water supply systems and other priorities.”
She stressed her hope the bill would be bipartisan, as infrastructure is an area in which Republicans and Democrats have both expressed interest. Former President Trump called for a “very big and bold” $ 2 trillion infrastructure spending plan last April. Pelosi proposed an infrastructure bill around the same time.
“The construction of our transportation system has long been a two-party one. We hope the spirit prevails as we meet other critical needs in energy and broadband, education and housing, water systems and other priorities, ”Pelosi said. “As we embark on these job-creating initiatives, we must discuss their impact on the federal budget, on creating economic growth and on preserving our planet.
Biden presented a $ 2 trillion plan to boost clean energy and rebuild infrastructure on the countryside trail last summer.
It’s unclear if lawmakers across the aisle can agree on a package, as Republicans are sounding the alarm on spending after coronavirus relief. Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., has said he wants to reach out to Republicans and will not vote for a bill passed through reconciliation, a budget law process that bypasses filibuster.
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Republicans will likely raise the question of how to pay such a bill. Pelosi suggested Thursday that the bill would be at least partially offset.
“We have to pay part of it. We will have to find ways to cover the costs, et cetera. This is a whole discussion that has to take place now,” she said at a press briefing. “But there is no doubt that the most extensive maintenance of our infrastructure is the lack of maintenance. It is only getting worse.”
Manchin, who has become one of the Hill’s most powerful lawmakers due to his moderate stance, said the infrastructure bill can be significant – around $ 4 trillion – provided it is paid with tax increases, including increasing the corporate tax rate to 25% from 21% “at least” and repealing parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 that benefit in such a way disproportionate to wealthy Americans.
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He said he would start his negotiations by demanding that the package be paid for at 100%. Otherwise, he said, the nation’s skyrocketing debt could trigger “a huge, deep recession that could lead to depression if we’re not careful.”
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