GOP Counterproposal Aims to Restore the Infrastructure Status Quo

Of the $568 billion in spending proposed by the "Republican Roadmap," $299 billion would go to infrastructure for cars.

2 minute read

April 25, 2021, 7:00 AM PDT

Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock

The GOP has produced a response to the American Jobs Plan proposed by the Biden administration at the end of March. Republicans are proposing a $568 billion plan "that's focused on more traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges and doesn't have the corporate tax hikes that Democrats are seeking," according to an article by Steven T. Dennis and Laura Litvan.

The GOP infrastructure plan would double the amount spent on roads and bridges in the American Jobs Plan—to $299 billion. The messaging for the counterproposal, shared here in a Tweet by Politico reporter Sam Mintz, repeats the Republican resistance to the broader definition of infrastructure implied by the American Jobs Plan.

NEW: GOP senators publish $568 billion infrastructure framework, transportation-focused and heavy on highway funding, but also includes broadband and water infrastructure.

Still no pay-for details besides a general principle of user fees, and using leftover Covid bill money. pic.twitter.com/BNvYCxKeHV

— Sam Mintz (@samjmintz) April 22, 2021

A Twitter thread by Urban Institute researcher Yonah Freemark details more about the consequences of the GOP infrastructure plan for non-automobile modes of transportation. Spoiler alert: the Biden plan is far friendlier to transit.

It turns out GOP proposal is worse for transit than I understood. @iduncan & others are reporting that it likely incorporates surface transport reauthorization, rather than being an add-on (which the Biden plan is). So $61b for transit is a decline compared to current spending. https://t.co/XAR9JNLbvn

— Yonah Freemark (@yfreemark) April 22, 2021

Republicans intend to pay for their plan with user fees for electric vehicles and by repurposing "unused federal spending" from the American Rescue Plan, according to a separate article by Alexander Bolton.

The Associated Press has also reported on the Republican infrastructure counter proposal.

FULL STORY: GOP Counters Biden With $568 Billion Infrastructure Plan

Thursday, April 22, 2021 in Bloomberg

Government / Politics Infrastructure Transportation United States American Jobs Plan American Rescue Plan Act Republican Roadmap Car-Centric Planning Automobile Dependency Climate Change Biden Administration View More

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