A massive new infrastructure plan is now making its way through Congress. Locally, Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) is supporting the plan.
Plaskett announced that support with members of the New Democrat Coalition Wednesday morning.
The $760 billion proposal, introduced Wednesday by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-MA), would be implemented over five years. It would also include green energy initiatives. This would address a wide array of issues, including roads, transit, rural broadband internet, and more.
Plaskett is the Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Infrastructure Task Force. They are a group of centrist Democrats who support a moderate-to-progressive agenda, but are concerned about government spending.
“While we want to have a bill that speaks to creating jobs, changing into the 21st century,” Plaskett said. “I think as New Dems we’re really concerned that this actually going to become law; it’s workable; we’re able to pay for it, and it does the things that we say.”
The Democrats proposal comes two years after President Donald Trump announced a $1.5 trillion plan, which has largely fallen flat in Congress.
A markup of the Democrats’ proposal is not scheduled until April.
