Democrats: 'Climate Action,' 'Police Accountability' Are 'Infrastructure'

Infrastructure includes "affordable housing," "climate action," "police accountability," and "paid leave," according to Democrats, who hope to address a wide-range of issues in upcoming legislation being sold as an infrastructure plan.

Count President Joe Biden among those stretching the infrastructure definition, examples of which were collected together by Fox News, after he said at a recent event that computer "chips, like the one I have here — these chips, these wafers, are batteries, broadband; it's all infrastructure. This is infrastructure."

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote in a tweet last week that "climate action is infrastructure," and added in an opinion piece for The Washington Post that "a true infrastructure plan" will provide movement on "climate justice" and include parts of the Green New Deal.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., said last week that "affordable housing is infrastructure" as part of an announcement on new legislation to "make smart, effective, and green housing infrastructure investments."

"The Puget Sound region is one of the fastest growing places in the US, and the South Sound is growing even faster. But with this growth comes challenges we must address, including housing insecurity and the additional strain the pandemic has put on workers and families," Strickland said in a statement. "That’s why I’m so proud to join Congressman Peters in introducing the bipartisan Build More Housing Near Transit Act to make smart, effective, and green housing infrastructure investments to help families and workers without delay. Affordable housing is infrastructure, and this kind of investment is crucial to putting the South Sound on the path to recover and rebuild equitably for a brighter future." 

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said last Thursday that "police accountability is infrastructure," in a call for reform.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told Fox News last week that "we define ... infrastructure as what’s necessary to get the economy moving. And if you don’t have access to day care, universal pre-K, affordable day care, or a national paid leave plan, it’s going to be really hard to get families back to work."

Gillibrand said earlier this month that "Paid leave is infrastructure. Child care is infrastructure. Caregiving is infrastructure."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said last month that the infrastructure plan put forth by Biden is "like a Trojan horse ... it’s called infrastructure, but inside the Trojan horse it’s going to be more borrowed money and massive tax increases on all the productive parts of our economy."

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