House Democrats Unveil $760 Billion Infrastructure Spending Plan

WASHINGTON, DC – For more than 20 years, Congress has been talking about the importance of reinvesting in infrastructure. Though the push, as of late, has been on bridging the “digital divide” and providing high-speed internet access to every part of the country, other areas of infrastructure continue to age. Though President Trump identified the nation’s deteriorating roads, rails and waterways as prime examples of much-needed investment, his administration has been unable to forge a plan with members of Congress. On Wednesday however, House Democrats outlined a package to undertake “transformative projects that are smarter, safer and made to last.” The price tag to address the most pressing needs in the United States is $760 billion over five years. UPI reports the centerpiece of the plan commits almost half of the amount ($329 billion) for highway, railroad and transportation repairs and maintenance, which would prioritize fixing broken and outdated existing infrastructure – including 47,000 bridges considered structurally deficient. Also, the group led by House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (NJ-D), wants to invest more than $100 billion on mass transit; $55 billion in upgrading Amtrak’s passenger network; and $50 billion to replace aging wastewater treatment infrastructure. The three-page outline presented no specifics on how Congress might fund the project.