Republican presidential campaign showed that
this is not “a targeted or timely or an appropriate
response to the current crisis.”
Trump promised a $1 trillion plan during his
presidential run, paid for largely by private
investments. Democrats opposed that approach.
David McIntosh, president of the conservative
Club for Growth, said he opposed adding more
to the national debt, which stood at $21 trillion
even before last week’s $2.2 trillion bailout
became law.
“I don’t think more spending is what’s needed,”
he said in an interview. Instead, he said he
favored paying for infrastructure work by finding
other budget savings and easing labor and
other regulations that he said make construction
more expensive.
Last spring, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., emerged from a White
House meeting to say they’d tentatively agreed
with Trump to work on a $2 trillion infrastructure
package. That blew up days later during a White
House meeting that disintegrated after Trump
exploded over Congress’ investigation into
Russia’s aid to his presidential campaign.
The Republican-led Senate and Democratic-
controlled House each have plans that have
stopped short of final approval.
Barrasso’s Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee unanimously approved a bipartisan
bill last summer mapping $287 billion for roads
and bridges. In January, DeFazio’s House panel
outlined a broader $760 billion plan for roads,
broadband and other projects that is now
embodied in Pelosi’s package.