Infrastructure counter

Republicans offer infrastructure counter well short of Biden vision

The GOP offer only includes $257 billion in new spending, when the White House has asked for $1.7 trillion.

By MARIANNE LEVINE

Senate Republicans unveiled a $928 billion infrastructure counteroffer Thursday, in an effort to reach a bipartisan agreement with the White House.

The proposal comes as talks are set to go past the Biden administration’s unofficial deadline of Memorial Day. But the latest GOP offer only includes $257 billion in new spending, a far cry from the White House number of $1.7 trillion.

“We believe this counteroffer delivers on what President Biden told us in the Oval office that day and that is to try to reach somewhere near $1 trillion over an eight year period that would include our baseline spending,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) the top GOP negotiator. “We have achieved that goal with this counteroffer.”

The new GOP proposal allocates $506 billion for roads and bridges, $98 billion for public transit systems, $46 billion for passenger and freight trail, $21 billion for safety, $22 billion for ports and waterways, $56 billion for airports, among other features.

While the counteroffer will likely prolong discussions with the White House, the Biden administration and Senate Republicans remain far apart on several issues, including the total cost, the definition of infrastructure, and how to pay for it. The White House has suggested paying for the package by increasing the corporate tax rate, a non-starter for the GOP. Republicans have instead suggested user fees and using unused money allocated for coronavirus relief, which Democrats are rejecting.