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

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Freeway Interchange Construction

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.

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.

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.

Thursday, April 22, 2021 in Bloomberg

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation