Senate Republicans are set to deliver a revised offer of a package that includes roads, public transportation and airports to the White House as early as May 17.
President Biden in a meeting last week indicated that he would be willing to divide his $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan into separate bills in order to gain bipartisan support.
[Biden Asks Republicans to Bring Reworked Infrastructure Proposal]
President Biden hasn’t changed his position on raising the gas tax or user fees after meeting with Senate Republicans, however. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that raising user fees or the gas tax would violate the president’s pledge not to raise taxes on people making less than $400,000.
[White House Rules Out Paying for Infrastructure With Gas Tax, Other User Fees]
The Senate Finace Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on May 18 on the funding and financing options to bolster American infrastructure. Among the witnesses are Victoria F. Sheehan, President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Heather Buch, Subcommittee Chair, Transportation Steering Committee for the National Association of Counties. NATSO members will be able to view the hearing live beginning at 10 a.m. EST May 18.
NATSO reported last week that House members are seeking a total of almost $14.9 billion in earmarks for surface transportation projects. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is reviewing more than 2,300 projects to ensure that all requests comply with the rules.
The House Transportation Committee collected a list of 2,380 projects totaling $14.9 billion in spending from who would like to see them funded in the upcoming surface transportation bill. Democrats submitted nearly three times as many projects as Republicans. About $1.85 billion of that total requested would go toward projects that widen, expand or extend highways and roads. Not all projects will be funded by the bill.
[Member Designated Projects by State]
Congressional leaders expect to have an infrastructure and surface transportation bill on the House floor before July 4.
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