By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri US Senator Roy Blunt expects a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to pass Congress even as a second, much larger bill, bogs down on Capitol Hill.
Blunt, a Republican, says it appears the $3.5 trillion bill being pushed by Democrats could be in trouble since separated from the more traditional infrastructure package.
“Infrastructure is important. People know we need it. People in our state understand that all of the highways and roads and bridges and broadband and everything else working together is good for our economy,” Blunt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Blunt claims Americans are less enthusiastic for what Democrats call human infrastructure, programs such as free pre-school and community college, expanded Medicare, and other social programs.
Democrats must have everyone onboard to pass it in the Senate since no Republican has shown support. And, Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia has called on his party to trim the price of the bill considerably.
The Senate is split evenly at 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. Democrats hold the tie-breaking vote with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Blunt objects to the plan to pay for the bill: a repeal of the tax cuts approved under President Donald Trump, which Blunt asserts pumped life into a listless economy.
“We saw lower levels of economic income going up more dramatically than higher levels,” according to Blunt. “We saw the lowest unemployment (rate) in half a century. Lots of good things beginning to happen, because of the tax decisions that had been made.”
Blunt also questions the price tag. He asserts it is misleading, because of how the measure is structured.
“Programs that end halfway through or seven years into the 10 years that you’re counting the total spending, then it’s really about a $5 trillion package,” Blunt says. “Money that’s either going to be paid for by eliminating tax cuts and in some cases raising taxes and in other cases, I think inflation is something that will be a result of this bill if it’s allowed to pass.”