President Joe Biden made a pitch for the $1 trillion infrastructure deal he reached with a bipartisan group of senators in western Wisconsin on Tuesday. The move comes as the White House aims to ease congressional concerns on its passage and a massive spending bill that includes Biden's larger infrastructure goals.
The president visited the La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility before giving a speech about the infrastructure plan, which would bring unprecedented investments in roads, bridges, rail, and clean drinking water according to the White House.
President Biden's choice to promote the new trillion-dollar infrastructure plan during a trip to the Midwest battleground state has been criticized by Republican members of Congress. Biden was chastised by lawmakers for his visit to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he tried to advocate the new bipartisan infrastructure plan that he had threatened to veto before signing it over the weekend.
Republicans blasted Joe Biden's move
In a press release issued Tuesday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., lashed out at Biden and said that what the US president "needs to learn and acknowledge today is that Wisconsin employers are finding it almost impossible to hire the workers they need because federal unemployment benefits provide an enormous incentive not to work."
Johnson noted that the United States has recently added $6 trillion to its national debt, which now stands at more than $28 trillion. Additionally, a fiscally responsible infrastructure bill would repurpose the $700 billion in COVID relief spending not currently being used this fiscal year for real infrastructure rather than new entitlements, per Fox News.
In a press release, Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., slammed Joe Biden, saying he hoped the president takes note of the "Help Wanted" signs across the state when he visits Wisconsin. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, joined Steil and Johnson in warning that Wisconsin farmers are suffering, expressing his displeasure at Biden's refusal to listen to their concerns to rescue an infrastructure package that he placed at risk last week.
Per The Washington Times, the president also emphasized the $48.5 billion infrastructure plan for public transportation, claiming that it will cut travel times and pollution. The $973 billion proposal, which includes more than $500 billion in increased expenditure over the next five years, will be funded through several sources.
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Democrats embroiled with infrastructure deal
The government plans to divert unused federal unemployment funds from states that have terminated their COVID-19 relief programs, as well as repair tax loopholes. Meanwhile, Democrats are at odds on infrastructure, with liberal senators threatening to vote no on President Joe Biden's compromise package unless it includes a second $6 trillion bill that consists of some of their proposed programs, such as free child care and green projects.
The latest mishap comes after Biden had to backtrack on a Friday remark that enraged moderate Republicans. The GOP was appeased after the president issued a statement on Saturday, assuring them that the bipartisan deal would not be held hostage to a fast-track legislation known as reconciliation.
With enough Republican backing, the roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan, which focuses on traditional infrastructure projects, may be enacted by regular Senate order. A second bill, containing human infrastructure things like tax hikes, renewable energy projects, health-care provisions, and child-care spending, would have to go through a reconciliation process.
This permits Democrats to circumvent the Senate's customary 60-vote barrier for passing legislation. Progressive members have threatened to vote no on the compromise proposal unless it is accompanied by a reconciliation measure.
However, for the reconciliation bill to move forward, it would require the support of all 50 Democrats. Senators like Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema, both moderates, fall towards this group. Manchin has stated that he will support a reconciliation measure, but not at the level of spending proposed by liberals as the sum is getting close to $6 trillion, Daily Mail reported.
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