Trump Makes Infrastructure Program a Priority Come January

Kerry Lear

8 years ago

One of the first plans on the Trump administration&rsquo&semi;s agenda in 2018 is moving forward with a massive infrastructure plan&period;&NewLine;The program will be revealed by early next year and Marc Short, the White House&rsquo&semi;s legislative affairs director, said that Trump wants to ultimately reach a bipartisan deal&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;We plan to have principles for the Hill in January,&&num;8221&semi; said an official to CNBC&period;&NewLine;Democrats have been quick to criticize the recent GOP victories, like the tax plan&period; Democrats claim that the new tax plan won&rsquo&semi;t stimulate the funds needed to rebuild America&rsquo&semi;s roads, bridges and rail systems&period;&NewLine;Although the Trump administration has focused on repealing the Affordable Care Act and overhauling the U&period;S&period; government tax system, infrastructure will be a priority in 2018&period;&NewLine;The administration has plans to mix federal funds, along with contributions from both the local government and private sector&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;The approach now being contemplated is considered innovative by some infrastructure experts but also carries considerable political and economic risks for Trump,&rdquo&semi; writes the Washington Post&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;But, Democrats want the federal government to provide more of the funding&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;However, both Democrats and the GOP will need to find a compromise on where these funds will ultimately come from&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;There&rsquo&semi;s no doubt there is a pathway forward on this,&rdquo&semi; said Short to Fox News Sunday&period; &ldquo&semi;The big question is, will Democrats put politics aside and work with us&quest;&rdquo&semi;&nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;As described by White House aides familiar with Trump&rsquo&semi;s initiative, additional federal funding would be available on a competitive basis for states and localities that submit plans outlining how they plan to raise new revenue dedicated to infrastructure,&rdquo&semi; writes the Washington Post&period; &ldquo&semi;Jurisdictions could raise their gas or sales tax rates, for example, or increase revenue flowing to infrastructure projects in a variety of other ways, such as imposing new tolls on roads or selling off existing assets to the private sector to generate money for new projects&period;&rdquo&semi;&NewLine;But again, some Democrats will have to show support for this type of program&period; That&rsquo&semi;s why the plan includes incentives for localities to raise taxes&period; While&nbsp&semi;this element of compromise may also be an issue for Republicans&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;We think Republicans will be in favor of ensuring that future infrastructure projects are fiscally responsible,&rdquo&semi; said an official to Washington Post&period;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;Gov&period; John Hickenlooper (Colo&period;), among the Democrats the White House has consulted as it pulls together a plan, said he agrees that local governments need to be willing to tax themselves &ldquo&semi;to be in the game&rdquo&semi; on infrastructure,&rdquo&semi; writes the Washington Post&period;&nbsp&semi;&NewLine;Hickenlooper believes that infrastructure is the one area where both parties can come to an agreement&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;If you can&rsquo&semi;t get it done on this, you&rsquo&semi;re really going to have a hard row to hoe,&rdquo&semi; said Hickenlooper&period;&NewLine;Author&rsquo&semi;s note&colon; Both parties agree that an infrastructure overhaul is needed, but where the funding will come from makes this complicated&period; This is a good play on Trump&&num;8217&semi;s part, but the Democrats will have to come to the table on this one too&period;&NewLine;Editor&&num;8217&semi;s note&colon; If the Democrats do not participate in this, it will go bad for them come the next elections&period; But if they do, they will have less to criticize come election time&period;&NewLine;