US: Republicans opened the door Sunday to supporting a pared down version of Joe Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan, saying concentrating on physical improvements would deliver an "easy bipartisan win" for the US president.
Biden's American Jobs Plan -- the second massive spending initiative of his 10-week old administration, after a $1.9 trillion short-term Covid rescue bill -- would modernize America's public works and make its energy system greener.
But the proposal announced last week faces major hurdles in Congress amid criticism from Republicans and business lobbies who oppose the higher corporate taxes that would pay the bill.
Roy Blunt, the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, implored Democrats to focus on the traditional pillars of infrastructure -- "roads, bridges, ports and airports" -- and not the more expansive spending Biden envisions to create jobs, fight climate change and stand up to a rising China.
Blunt spoke out as senior administration figures hit the Sunday talk show circuit to sell the policy to the American people as a vital component of sustained job growth.
"I've reached out to the White House a couple of times now and said, you've got an easy bipartisan win here if you'll keep this package nearly focused on infrastructure," Blunt told ABC's "This Week."
That would not prevent the administration from later pushing through the other aspects of its plan on a partisan basis, he said.
Blunt complained that the package contained more for electric vehicle charging stations than for physical improvements.
"When people think about infrastructure, they're thinking about roads, bridges, ports and airports," he told ABC.
Blunt, a senior member of Senate leadership team, struck a more conciliatory tone than the Chamber's Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had earlier vowed to fight the Biden plan "every step of the way." - AFP
