The numbers aren’t the source of the disagreement, or at least they shouldn’t be the source.
What needs to happen with President Biden’s infrastructure package is that moderate and progressive Democrats need to find some common ground. They need to develop a compromise that enables the rebuilding of our infrastructure, with at least a nod toward some of the tangential issues associated with it, to proceed.
We need to fix our roads, bridges, airports, ship channels and the like. The cost is going to be huge no matter the number they settle on.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, the moderate West Virginia Democrat, has decided that $3.5 trillion is too much too soon. I disagree with him, but that’s just me. He is the man in position to affect legislation. He wants to pare it back … a lot! I only would implore him to avoid taking away the quality of life improvements contained in the legislation being discussed.
Whether it’s $3.5 trillion or $1.5 trillion or any number between those bookends, there needs to be some progress shown toward rebuilding our infrastructure.
They say it’s best to avoid “letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.” We won’t find perfection in a deeply divided Congress — or between that body and the White House.
There is a lot of good to be harvested. Let’s find it and enact it.
Didnât you argue against raising the debt ceiling under the Trump administration? What changed?
Peel put the fluff and focus strictly on infrastructure, and I can get behind it. That would get the cost down significantly. I know every legislation has items unrelated. But, that needs to stop. Of law makers want the âother stuffâ, bring it up in another bill. If itâs good enough and warranted, it would pass.
I have never made that argument.
My mistake I thought I recalled something. If you didnât, I apologize.