WASHINGTON DC – Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that he does not believe any member of his party supports the $ 1.8 trillion and $ 2.3 trillion worth of infrastructure and social spending packages, respectively. driven by President Joe Biden.
McConnell explained at a press conference in Kentucky, the state he represents, that “it is worth” talking about these initiatives, but predicted that there will be “zero” conservative support for these legislative proposals.
Both packages, which together total just over $ 4 trillion, include funds to build roads, bridges and boost broadband and clean energy, as well as money for public schools and elderly care, among other measures.
THE “RECONCILIATION” USED BY THE DEMOCRATS TO ADVANCE THEIR CAUSES
The tight Democratic majority in the Upper House, with 50 senators to 50 for Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaker vote, makes it difficult for these bills to go through, because progressives need 60 supports to that are approved.
As a result, Democrats are likely to have to resort to a legislative mechanism, called “reconciliation,” which would allow them to be passed by a simple majority.
A group of Republican senators, led by West Virginia legislator Shelley Moore Capito, has proposed an alternative infrastructure package worth $ 568 billion.
He urged Republicans to approve his bill or the points they agree on. To see more from Telemundo, visit https://www.nbc.com/networks/telemundo
Capito spoke with Biden late last week and the two expressed an interest in continuing to negotiate and possibly meeting at the White House in the future.
McConnell said Monday that Republicans are willing to raise that amount slightly, much less than what Democrats are asking for.
“We are open to making a package of $ 600,000 million that deals with what we have all agreed to be infrastructure,” said the congressman.
“If it’s going to be about infrastructure let’s make it about infrastructure,” McConnell added.
The Biden government has referred to both initiatives (social spending plus infrastructure) from the beginning as its infrastructure plan, although it has preferred to divide it into two packages because it believes it will be easier for them to be approved separately in Congress.