President Donald Trump is considering pushing Congress to tie his infrastructure plan to either health care or tax reform in the hopes it will help garner Democratic support for GOP priorities.
Trump is expected to propose his $1 trillion infrastructure plan, which would be rolled out over the course of a decade, later this year. Democrats have largely been supportive of his call to invest in the nation’s roads and bridges.
“We want to do a great infrastructure plan, and on that side I will say that we’re going to have, I believe, tremendous Democrat support,” he told The New York Times. “We are also going to have some good Republican support, and I think it’s going to be one of the very bipartisan bills and it’s going to happen. I may put it in with health care.”
Republicans in the House haven’t come to a consensus on health care reform, with leadership pulling the bill from the floor in March due to lack of support. But according to Trump, attaching the plan to a different piece of legislation could be an effective way to get things passed.
“I am. I’m thinking about accelerating it,” he continued. I’m thinking about putting it with another bill. Could be health care, could be something else. Could be tax reform.” he continued.
The administration has recently floated working across the aisle to accomplish its legislative agenda if Republicans are unable to overcome an impasse on issues within the conference. The unconventional approach has not been received well by everyone, with some fearing it will lead to further divide in the party.
“If he tries to do a federal infrastructure bill before we get the healthcare and tax done, it’s going to split the party in half,” Jim DeMint, the president of the Heritage Foundation and former South Carolina senator, told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto Thursday. “We can fulfill his promise to get a trillion dollars in infrastructure i believe without one more dime of federal money.
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