President Joe Biden is being pressured by the far-left of his party to forget negotiating with Republicans on infrastructure and go at it alone, via a massive spending package and budget reconciliation.
According to Fox Business, negotiations began in April and are expected to continue into early June, when Congress returns from recess. The two sides are divided on both the contents of the infrastructure package and how to pay for it.
Last month, Biden introduced his American Jobs Plan, which would cost $2.3 trillion and would “rebuild roads and bridges, expand broadband service, invest billions into green energy and fighting climate change and create programs to help bolster care for elderly and disabled Americans. The measure would be funded by raising taxes on big corporations,” Fox Business reports.
However, Republicans oppose the plan on the grounds of it being too expensive and that much of it has little to do with traditional infrastructure. Biden has proposed raising the corporate tax rate to 28% from its current 21%, as well as implementing a higher global minimum on foreign earnings of American companies.
Biden proposed lowering the offer to $1.7 trillion, and GOP lawmakers countered with a $928 billion proposal, Fox Business also reported. However, the contents of the bill constitute most of the disagreement between the two sides, namely what should be covered by the term “infrastructure.” The plan the GOP put forth does not include spending on many areas Biden wants to spend on, such as green energy investment.
As such, far-left Democrats are urging Biden to plow ahead on his own.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., tweeted,
“Mitch McConnell has already said that 100% of his focus is on blocking the Biden agenda. So why are we negotiating with Republicans for a smaller infrastructure plan? Now is the time to GO BIG.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., tweeted a similar sentiment, saying that
"[T]he American people want action, not never-ending ‘negotiations’ and obstructionism, and they will not come out and vote for a party that does not deliver. If not now, when?"
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