Biden and bipartisan senators forge $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal

By
Suzanne Downing
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9

President Joe Biden and the “Gang of 10” U.S. senators announced they had come to an agreement on an infrastructure spending package.

With the support of senators including Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitt Romney of Utah, Biden stood in the driveway of the White House and told reporters, “We have a deal. I clearly didn’t get all I wanted. They gave more than I think maybe they were inclined to give in the first place.”

The details of the deal are not clear, except that it looks to spent $1.2 trillion over eight years, with nearly $1 trillion to be spent within the first five years.

An estimated $579 billion would be for roads, bridges, and tunnels, and it’s unclear how much of the day-care spending was preserved as infrastructure, as requested by hardline Democrats trying to shove social programs through as a new definition of “infrastructure.”

One document shows some of the spending commitments to be voted on by the full Senate:

Transportation: $312 billion

  • Roads, bridges, major projects: $109 billion
  • Safety: $11 bilion
  • Public transit: $49 billion
  • Passenger and freight rail: $66 billion
  • Electric vehicle infrastructure: $7.5 billion
  • Electric buses / transit: $4.5 billion
  • Reconnecting communities: $1 billion
  • Airports: $25 billion
  • Ports and waterways: $16 billion
  • Infrastructure financing: $20 billion

Proposed financing sources for new investment

  • Reduce the IRS tax gap
  • Unemployment insurance program integrity
  • Redirect unused unemployment insurance relief funds
  • Repurpose unused relief funds from 2020 emergency relief legislation
  • State and local investment in broadband infrastructure
  • Allow states to sell or purchase unused toll credits for infrastrucrue
  • Extend expiring customs user fees
  • Reinstate Superfund fees for chemicals
  • 5G spectrum auction proceeds
  • Extend mandatory sequester
  • Strategic petroleum reserve sale
  • Public-private partnerships, private activity bonds, direct pay bonds and asset recycling for infrastructure investment
  • Macroeconomic impact of infrastructure investment

President Donald Trump presented an infrastructure plan to Congress in February 2018. It had $200 billion in federal funding and $1.5 trillion from the private sector. Democrats opposed the plan because of its reliance on state and local funding and private investments.

In 2020, the Trump Administration offered a  $1 trillion infrastructure plan. The mainstream media then reported it as a campaign gimmick during a presidential election year.

9 COMMENTS

  1. Can’t wait for Trump to pull into Anchorage on his 757, with a note to show how much debt Lisa Murkowski is causing this country. Folks in the Lower 48 are pleading with Alaskans to dump her.

  2. The average working schmo in Anchorage will likely see about six cents of the $1.2 trillion. Favored groups, entities and the well-connected will take billions upon billions.

  3. I happen to think the “gang of ten” should prevail over the “gang of 45” (all GOP, minority Senate members who have caved to the McConnell/Trump cabal). At least the Gang of 10 have the majority of the nation on their side. Or should the minority rule?

  4. What majority, Greg R.? The Senate is split 50-50 with the fraudulently-elected Kamala Harris overseeing a tie. The several traitors, including Murkowski, have become part of the Biden cabal, which includes accepting Chinese bribe money, threatening Ukraine from it’s prosecutorial powers and covering-up Hunter’s criminal activities and drug and prostitution addictions. So take your 7th grade bs to another forum and quit embarrassing yourself here in front of everyone.

  6. I’m already hearing this “deal” has fallen apart.
    .
    The crew in favor of it tells me it’s bad for my country.

  7. What? Nothing for Head Start or Public Broadcasting?
    “Public-private partnerships”- Who would go into a partnership with an entity 30 trillion dollars in debt?
    1. coerced at gunpoint
    2.free money for an exit strategy.

  8. Theres always bipartisan agreement to spend money, but never to cut. Its always SPEND SPEND SPEND. It’s what politicians know how to do best.

  9. Here is the woman who helped destroy America and Alaska Oil. We go from energy independence to dependent on foreign oil in a matter of months thanks to Lisa and the Jo and Ho clown show.

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