Infrastructure: The Political Road Ahead
- 3 years ago
America's infrastructure is crumbling. President Joe Biden says he has a plan to fix it. But how to pay for this $2 trillion plan will be the topic of hot debate in Washington. After this, will we still view infrastructure as the ideal bipartisan issue? We speak with Megan Ryerson, UPS Chair of Transportation and Associate Professor in the Departments of City and Regional Planning and Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania about the impact of Biden's proposals. Matt Klink, GOP strategist weighs in on the politics of the issue.
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The water we drink, the roads we travel, the broadband we use to log on to our virtual meetings, all up for an overhaul in Joe Biden's latest 2 trillion dollar infrastructure plan. SOT Megan Ryerson, Chair of Transportation, Penn my reaction to Biden's infrastructure plan is that it is truly visionary and revolutionary in centering equity and centering climate, in centering jobs. Infrastructure has long been held as the ideal bipartisan issue, red or blue state, everyone benefits and lawmakers can return to their districts with examples of tangible changes at election time. Experts say: think again. sot Matt Klink, GOP STRATEGIST there are some huge positives for what Joe Biden wants to do. But there are also some significant negatives, and each side will highlight those in an attempt to pass or blunt this massive infrastructure bill. But when the rubber meets the road, how to pay for the plan is likely to be the big issue of contention for Joe Biden in DC. Biden is proposing ending the Trump tax cuts, but that is not acceptable to everyone on the hill. SOT MATT Klink, he certainly doesn't have consensus by a majority of Congress that includes Democrats that a massive tax increase or more massive borrowing is the right call at this time. Experts say that this bill has the potential to change communities, and as such that could completey change the debate. SOT Megan Ryerson, Chair of Transportation, Penn So I think we're gearing up for a very interesting fight. I think it's not going to be our typical fight as transportation as transportation never is, it's going to be, uh, it's going to be lawmakers representing their constituents and the needs of their constituents and not so much a group toeing their party line. Expect dramatic scenes on the Hill, as it's clear that on this issue, every vote will count.
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The water we drink, the roads we travel, the broadband we use to log on to our virtual meetings, all up for an overhaul in Joe Biden's latest 2 trillion dollar infrastructure plan. SOT Megan Ryerson, Chair of Transportation, Penn my reaction to Biden's infrastructure plan is that it is truly visionary and revolutionary in centering equity and centering climate, in centering jobs. Infrastructure has long been held as the ideal bipartisan issue, red or blue state, everyone benefits and lawmakers can return to their districts with examples of tangible changes at election time. Experts say: think again. sot Matt Klink, GOP STRATEGIST there are some huge positives for what Joe Biden wants to do. But there are also some significant negatives, and each side will highlight those in an attempt to pass or blunt this massive infrastructure bill. But when the rubber meets the road, how to pay for the plan is likely to be the big issue of contention for Joe Biden in DC. Biden is proposing ending the Trump tax cuts, but that is not acceptable to everyone on the hill. SOT MATT Klink, he certainly doesn't have consensus by a majority of Congress that includes Democrats that a massive tax increase or more massive borrowing is the right call at this time. Experts say that this bill has the potential to change communities, and as such that could completey change the debate. SOT Megan Ryerson, Chair of Transportation, Penn So I think we're gearing up for a very interesting fight. I think it's not going to be our typical fight as transportation as transportation never is, it's going to be, uh, it's going to be lawmakers representing their constituents and the needs of their constituents and not so much a group toeing their party line. Expect dramatic scenes on the Hill, as it's clear that on this issue, every vote will count.