Biden's Infrastructure Program - Republican Blunt Proposes "Compromise"

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Roy Blunt has different ideas for an infrastructure program than US President Joe Biden

Photo: Rod Lamkey - Cnp / imago images / ZUMA Wire

Slightly conciliatory tones in the dispute over the US infrastructure: From the ranks of the Republicans in Congress there is a compromise proposal for the two-trillion-dollar program announced by President Joe Biden.

He had told the White House several times, "You can win an easy bipartisan victory here if you focus almost exclusively on the infrastructure with this package," said senior Republican Senator Roy Blunt on Sunday on ABC's "This Week" .

So far, the package has provided more spending on charging stations for electric vehicles than on improvements to traditional infrastructure, criticized Blunt.

"When people think of infrastructure, they think of roads, bridges, ports and airports." He called on Biden to forego the planned larger expenditures for creating jobs and combating the climate crisis, among other things.

The government could still implement these aspects of the package later.

Blunt's proposal for a scaled-down package was in a different tone than Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, who recently announced bitter opposition to Biden's program.

He will fight the plan at every stage, because the plan is the "wrong recipe for America," McConnell said last Thursday.

With the program, Biden wants to fundamentally modernize the infrastructure of his country and stimulate economic growth.

It is to be financed by raising the corporate tax from 21 to 28 percent.

The proposal had been sharply criticized by the opposition Republicans and business lobbyists, particularly because of this planned tax increase.

Tough discussions about the project are therefore to be expected in the Congress.

Biden stressed that the program would create "millions of well-paying jobs."

The United States "cannot hesitate another minute" to rebuild US infrastructure.

"This will create the strongest, most robust, most innovative economy in the world," promised Biden when he compared his concept to the "space race" at the launch in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

In 50 years, people would look back and be amazed: "That was the moment when America won the future."

svs / AFP