[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5060-S5061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Infrastructure

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I want to back up what the majority 
leader said. The day was May 22, 2019. I remember it well. Two things 
happened that morning. First was the birth of my granddaughter, which 
was an exciting and happy event. The second was just the opposite. It 
was a meeting in the White House with President Donald Trump, and the 
purpose of the meeting was to discuss infrastructure.
  You see, we had an earlier meeting. Democrats met with the leaders of 
the Trump administration to discuss an infrastructure bill. When we 
suggested $1.5 trillion be spent on infrastructure. President Trump 
said: No, make it $2 trillion.
  Well, we were happy to hear that. Then when we suggested that 
President Trump's earlier suggestion of 80 percent of it being paid on 
a State and local basis rather than Federal, he reversed himself. He 
said it will be 80 percent Federal. More good news.
  Then came the suggestion: Well, it shouldn't just be horizontal 
infrastructure. It ought to be vertical infrastructure--broadband, 
school buildings, things that we desperately need in America.
  And he said: Include them; let's make that part of the package.
  It was one of the best meetings.
  Then came the subject of how we were going to pay for it, and 
President Donald Trump said: Stop. I am not going to get into that 
conversation.
  Well, we said: Mr. President, we have agreed on what we are going to 
do, but we have to pay for it.
  He said: No, you are not going to trap me with raising taxes or doing 
things that are politically unpopular.
  So we postponed this follow-up meeting to this May 22 date--May 22, 
2019. We were anxious to get it done because, during his Presidency, 
there had been no infrastructure programs--none, nothing--despite his 
promises to the contrary during the campaign.
  We came back May 22. He walked in the room and he said to all of us 
assembled there: As long as you are investigating me for any reason, 
there will be no infrastructure bill.
  He wheeled around and walked out. That was the end of the 
conversation about infrastructure in the Trump administration. It was 
never seriously considered or debated after that.
  Now we are engaged in a new exercise. Some Republican Senators--and I 
thank them for their courage and initiative--want to sit down with 
Democrats and see if we can finally, after years and years, come up 
with an infrastructure bill to rebuild America.
  They are under pressure. They are under pressure from Senator 
McConnell. He didn't want them to engage in this kind of bipartisan 
negotiation. And now, today, former President Trump has joined the 
chorus, saying they shouldn't bargain at all with Democrats. Put it off 
another year, 2 years, whatever it has to be, until the Republicans 
control the whole process. That is a recipe for achieving little or 
nothing. We know that.
  So I sincerely hope that this week will be a breakthrough week. 
Senator Schumer, the Democratic majority leader, tried to get it 
started last week with a simple procedural vote that would move us to 
this conversation,

[[Page S5061]]

but he was unlucky and was unable to get that done, but he has 
maintained the procedural option of reconsidering that vote. I 
certainly hope that will happen soon.