[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 71 (Monday, April 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2187-S2188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Biden Administration

  Madam President, on another matter, it has been nearly a month since 
the Biden administration rolled out its so-called infrastructure plan. 
It quickly became clear that their proposal mainly focused on 
everything but the things normal people call infrastructure.
  The day this plan was introduced, the White House messaging document 
mentioned the words ``climate'' and ``union'' more often than ``roads'' 
and ``bridges.'' And the numbers back that up. Out of more than $2 
trillion in proposed spending, less than 6 percent would go to roads 
and bridges. Even when you add in airports, ports, rail, and waterways, 
the total would still be exceeded by the amount going to electric 
vehicles alone. Even an Ivy League expert said using ``infrastructure'' 
to describe the totality of the bill ``does a bit of violence to the 
English language.''
  So after a few days of trying to battle the English language, 
Democrats began to pivot. I understand this is no longer an 
``infrastructure'' plan. Now it is a ``jobs'' plan. But that turns out 
to be just as dishonest. This proposal isn't any more focused on 
creating jobs than it is on fixing roads.
  Even by the favorable metrics that the White House likes to use, this 
plan would cost Americans more than $800,000 for every new job that 
would exist 10 years down the road.
  Serious, bipartisan legislation to rebuild American infrastructure 
could have a big impact at a fraction--a fraction--of the cost. This 
plan is bloated, unfocused. It is not a targeted recipe for better 
public works.
  When America actually puts our mind to things, we can do them. 
Remember Operation Warp Speed? But this isn't like that. This is a 
sloppy liberal wish list that would spend a lot and get very little in 
return.
  The far left has been bragging about all the social engineering and 
welfare spending that is stuffed into these proposals. They have 
boasted that the DNA of the Green New Deal is all over this 
administration's agenda.
  Roads, bridges, and ports are bipartisan priorities. Water 
infrastructure and broadband are bipartisan priorities. That is why 
when the Senate tackles honest-to-goodness infrastructure in a smart 
way, we almost always have wide bipartisan margins.
  Last week, our colleague from West Virginia, Senator Capito, got 
together with the other ranking members of committees that deal with 
actual infrastructure. These Republicans put forward a smart proposal 
that would meet pressing needs in actual infrastructure.
  So now comes the critical moment. Now is the time we learn whether 
Democrats really want to jump start

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actual public works projects or whether infrastructure was only ever 
intended as a wrapping paper for unrelated gifts to the far left.
  Remember what happened when Republicans went to President Biden, 
offering a bipartisan compromise path on COVID relief. They were 
informed the Democrats were not interested in working together. So our 
country needs the administration to find a smarter approach