Senate Republicans are panning President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure as a “dog’s breakfast” of special funds for Democratic priorities ahead of Mr. Biden’s meeting at the White House on Monday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
“Eleven days ago, President Biden laid out a partisan plan to kill jobs and create slush funds on the taxpayer dime,” said a new memo from the Senate Republican Conference. “Described as both a ‘jobs plan’ and an ‘infrastructure’ plan, the proposal undermines both.”
The memo points out that the package spends just 5% of the $2.7 trillion total on roads and bridges.
The rest includes “a dog’s breakfast of slush funds for Democrats’ pet projects without any accountability or transparency,” the memo said.
The $2.7 trillion total would include about $400 billion in green energy tax credits the White House is reportedly weighing.
Mr. Biden and his administration say the U.S. needs to rethink the definition of “infrastructure” and that replacing lead pipes, getting high-speed internet to rural Americans, and spending money on caregiving for the elderly counts under that expanded definition.
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On Monday morning, the White House released its own state-by-state breakdown of the number of roads and bridges in need of repair, commuting times, and broadband, water and housing needs as Mr. Biden prepares to sell the plan to Capitol Hill lawmakers returning from their Easter break.
“The American Jobs Plan is an investment in America that will create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China,” the White House said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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