President Biden 'clears up' infrastructure misunderstanding.
Last week Congress, seemingly, came together in support of a massive infrastructure bill that could potentially repair America's bridges, roads, bridge the digital divide and provide hundreds of jobs.
While both Democrats and Republicans revealed neither side got what they wanted, (including the amount of spending needed to move the country forward in an attempt to 'compete with China), several provisions of the proposed bill seem palpable.
READ: DC bridge collapses during rush hour
However, the president made a statement that he would veto the bill if his request for other needed services (such as education and child care) under the American Families Plan were not included.
His words set off a firestorm of opposition for both parties, mainly Republicans who felt they were not getting (mainly spending cuts) what was initially agreed upon.
This prompted Biden to walk back, and 'make plain', his initial remarks.
Below is a statement from the president.
So to be clear: our bipartisan agreement does not preclude Republicans from attempting to defeat my Families Plan; likewise, they should have no objections to my devoted efforts to pass that Families Plan and other proposals in tandem. We will let the American people—and the Congress—decide.
The bottom line is this: I gave my word to support the Infrastructure Plan, and that’s what I intend to do. I intend to pursue the passage of that plan, which Democrats and Republicans agreed to on Thursday, with vigor. It would be good for the economy, good for our country, good for our people. I fully stand behind it without reservation or hesitation.
Some other Democrats have said they might oppose the Infrastructure Plan because it omits items they think are important: that is a mistake, in my view. Some Republicans now say that they might oppose the infrastructure plan because I am also trying to pass the American Families Plan: that is also a mistake, in my view. I intend to work hard to get both of them passed, because our country needs both—and I ran a winning campaign for President that promised to deliver on both. No one should be surprised that that is precisely what I am doing.
I will ask Leader Schumer to schedule both the infrastructure plan and the reconciliation bill for action in the Senate. I expect both to go to the House, where I will work with Speaker Pelosi on the path forward after Senate action. Ultimately, I am confident that Congress will get both to my desk, so I can sign each bill promptly."
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