House Leaders Unveil Framework for $760 Billion Infrastructure Plan

January 29, 2020 by Dan McCue
House Leaders Unveil Framework for $760 Billion Infrastructure Plan

WASHINGTON – House Democratic Leaders unveiled a five-year, $760 billion framework for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, vowing to try to reach bipartisan consensus as the details are hashed out in committee.

The election-year package, billed as the “Moving Forward Framework,” was drafted by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and Richard Neal, D-Mass., chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“This is not just about fixing our roads and bridges,” the three said in a joint statement. “It is about seizing the opportunity to make transformational changes in communities of all sizes, in every corner of our country.”

The House thought it had a tentative deal with President Donald Trump on a $2 trillion infrastructure package last year, but talks broke down over disagreements on how to finance the deal and the then-ongoing House investigations into the president.

Those talks ended for good in May, when the president stormed out of a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

On Wednesday, House Democrats renewed their call for bipartisan talks with the White House and the Republican-led Senate. They appeared to be pinning their hopes on the fact a $1 trillion infrastructure plan remains one of Trump’s unfulfilled promises from his inaugural campaign.

“Infrastructure has been near the top of everybody’s list — the president’s, Congress, the public — and this will show that we can put in place that we’re pushing forward on a 21st century infrastructure proposal,” DeFazio said.

But there’s little sign the White House is ready to talk. Later on Wednesday, the president held a signing ceremony for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and did not invite either Speaker Pelosi or Rep. Neal to attend.

If bipartisan talks can’t be achieved, the House leaders made clear they intend to pass a series of bills on their infrastructure priorities.

The framework includes $329 billion for investment in enhanced  transportation systems that will encourage use by bicyclists and pedestrians;  $105 billion for transit agencies and maintenance needs; $86 billion for the expansion of broadband access; $55 billion in railway investments aimed at expanding the nation’s passenger services and improving aging Amtrak stations; and $19.7 billion for port maintenance. 

An additional $21.4 billion is included to ensure communities have clean, toxin-free drinking water.

The Senate has begun work on its own infrastructure legislation, with one highway bill passing unanimously out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this session.

That bill authorizes $287 billion over five years, and includes provisions for road safety and programs to maintain and repair roads and bridges.

Following Wednesday’s press conference, Reps. Joe Cunningham,
D-S.C., and Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., co-chairs of the Blue Dog Task Force on
Infrastructure and Job Creation, issued a joint statement in which they said,
“repairing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure is a bipartisan priority.”

“Our constituents sent us to Congress to address this
critical issue, from building the Gateway Tunnel in New Jersey to mitigating
coastal flooding in the Lowcountry,” they said.” That’s why the Blue
Dogs were the first Democratic caucus to call for the prioritization of
infrastructure this Congress. The Democratic framework presents an opportunity
for both parties to come together to create good-paying jobs in communities
across the country and improve the lives of everyday Americans. It is a strong
first step in the negotiation process, and our hope is that both parties work
together to get this done as soon as possible.”

A+
a-
  • Amtrak
  • broadband
  • Congress
  • Donald Trump
  • infrastructure
  • railways
  • Roads
  • Water
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Infrastructure

    A Georgia Town That Solidly Backed Trump Could Fall Victim to Green Energy Cuts

    CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — When two South Korean companies announced a multibillion-dollar investment to build solar panel and electric battery factories in northwest Georgia,... Read More

    CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — When two South Korean companies announced a multibillion-dollar investment to build solar panel and electric battery factories in northwest Georgia, federal subsidies helped close a deal to diversify the local economy. The factories promised thousands of new jobs, transforming the manufacturing base in Cartersville, once a... Read More

    Support for Solar Energy and Offshore Wind Falls Among Democrats and Independents, AP-NORC Poll Says

    Americans’ support for green energy tax credits and renewable energies like wind and solar power has decreased in recent years,... Read More

    Americans’ support for green energy tax credits and renewable energies like wind and solar power has decreased in recent years, according to a new poll, driven by a softening in support from Democrats and independents. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that... Read More

    May 14, 2025
    by Kate Michael
    High-Speed Rail Takes Center Stage at Conference in Washington, DC

    Washington, D.C. — This week, transportation experts, policymakers, and advocates from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital for... Read More

    Washington, D.C. — This week, transportation experts, policymakers, and advocates from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital for HSR 2025, a three-day conference focused on accelerating the future of high-speed rail in the United States. Event attendees explored strategies for planning, designing, and delivering... Read More

    May 2, 2025
    by Tom Ramstack
    Nvidia Plans Half-Trillion Dollars to Build US Artificial Intelligence

    WASHINGTON — Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang announced this week that his company plans to invest a half-trillion dollars in... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang announced this week that his company plans to invest a half-trillion dollars in U.S. infrastructure needed to manufacture semiconductors and to build the supercomputers that enable artificial intelligence. "Adding American manufacturing helps us better meet the incredible and growing... Read More

    April 29, 2025
    by Tom Ramstack
    FBI Reports Sharp Increase in American Cybercrime Victims

    WASHINGTON — The FBI’s new Internet Crime Report released last week shows Americans lost $16.6 billion to cybercrime in 2024... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The FBI’s new Internet Crime Report released last week shows Americans lost $16.6 billion to cybercrime in 2024 despite an intensified government effort to stop it. The losses were up by one-third from a year earlier.  Fraud was the most common crime, particularly among... Read More

    US Infrastructure Improved With Biden-Era Spending but There's a Long way to Go

    A once-every-four-years report card on the upkeep of America's infrastructure gave it a “C” grade on Tuesday, up slightly from... Read More

    A once-every-four-years report card on the upkeep of America's infrastructure gave it a “C” grade on Tuesday, up slightly from previous reports, largely due to investments made during former President Joe Biden's administration. The report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which examined everything from roads and... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top