Regardless of Republican support, Senate Democrats will introduce a draft of President Biden’s major infrastructure bill in June, and plan to pass it this summer.
Senators will be out of Washington next week for the National Day of Mourning holiday, and when they return to work from recess, Democrats will introduce the infrastructure bill, which covers everything from transportation, broadband, equipment to job training.
“The president continues to discuss the base-creation law with Senate Republicans, and committees will hold public hearings and continue to work to advance the ‘Build Back Better’ plan, with or without Republican support”; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote to Democrats on the 28th, saying, “A comprehensive jobs and foundation creation law must be passed this summer.”
President Biden worked with Senate Republicans to reach a bipartisan agreement on a major improvement to the U.S. infrastructure program; after several rounds of negotiations, it became clear that the two sides had failed to reach a consensus on the bill and the amount of money the government should pay.
The White House and the Republican Party can hardly reach a consensus, some Democrats proposed whether or not the Republican Party support, have to pass the bill’s voice is growing; Democrats can do so in the budget reconciliation stage that only requires a simple majority vote; Democrats had passed Biden’s first major bill in March without Republican support, namely the $1.9 trillion new crown relief plan.
Republicans 27 proposed $928 billion infrastructure package, which is half the amount of the White House’s last proposed $1.7 trillion package.
White House spokesman Jen Psaki praised the Republican bill as “constructive,” but remained concerned that the Republican proposal would make it difficult to modernize railroads and convert to clean energy; the Republicans want to divert the inexhaustible New Crown bailout funds to the infrastructure program budget, but the White House wants the Republicans to use up all the bailout funds, saying The diversion of funds threatens to affect small businesses and hospitals.
Bilateral negotiations continue, and Biden will meet with Senator Shelley M. Capito of West Virginia, who is leading the Republican negotiations, as soon as this week.
The two parties must resolve two major differences, one is the scope of the definition of infrastructure, Republicans expect to limit the scope of the legislation to transportation, broadband and water.
In addition, the two sides may also be difficult to reach consensus on funding sources, Biden wants to raise corporate taxes, Republicans see this as a red line.
Schumer wrote in his letter that it was “encouraging” that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPWC) accelerated the $300 billion surface transportation bill last week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has said he would work with Biden on a wide range of economic issues, told Republicans on the 27th that he would continue discussions with Biden, telling “Consumer News and Business Channel” (CNBC), “We want to get results on major infrastructure plan.”
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