The Biden administration amplifies the push for its $2.3 trillion infrastructure package (American Jobs Plan) with state-by-state breakdowns. The reports, released today, look at several topics that President Biden believes would benefit from federal investments.
The topics are,
- Roads and bridges,
- Public transportation,
- Resilient infrastructure,
- Drinking water,
- Housing,
- Broadband,
- Caregiving,
- Child care,
- Manufacturing,
- Home energy,
- Clean energy jobs,
- and Veterans health.
The White House published each state’s summaries online. The administration pulled information from an array of private and public data.
State Grades
They gave most states a letter grade on their infrastructure. The highest grade went to Utah, which notched a C-plus. The lowest grade, D-minus, went to the territory of Puerto Rico. Missouri has a C-minus and Kansas has a C.
The Debate
The administration is banking that the data will confirm the everyday experiences of Americans as they bump over potholes, get trapped in traffic jams and wait for buses that almost never correspond to published schedules. There is already a receptive audience to the sales pitch, and the strategy is that public support can overcome any congressional misgivings.
“We don’t have a lot of work to do to persuade the American people that U.S. infrastructure needs major improvement,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Fox News Channel’s “Fox News Sunday” ahead of the reports’ release. “The American people already know it.”
Republican lawmakers say just a fraction of the spending goes to traditional infrastructure, as $400 billion would expand Medicaid support for caregivers. Another portion would fund electric vehicle charging stations.
Republican lawmakers also object to Biden’s plan to fund the package by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, increasing the global minimum tax and other tax changes. They argue those taxes will drive companies out of the U.S.
“This is a massive social welfare spending program combined with a massive tax increase on small-business job creators,” Sen Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “I can’t think of a worse thing to do.”
Wicker was among four Republicans on the White House guest list for Biden’s Monday meeting, along with Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Reps. Garret Graves of Louisiana and Don Young of Alaska. Democrats on the list were Sens. Maria Cantwell of Washington and Alex Padilla of California and Reps. Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey and David Price of North Carolina.
“I’m prepared to negotiate as to the extent of my infrastructure project, as well as how we pay for it,” Biden said. “It’s going to get down to what we call ‘infrastructure.’”
You can find the White House’s state-by-state infrastructure reports here: Fact sheets by state.
You can also find the White House’s fact sheet on the infrastructure plan here.