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LaMalfa: Biden’s Bait-and-Switch “Infrastructure” Plan Contains Some Short-term Benefits But Permanent Pain

March 31, 2021

Proposal is radical far-left wish list with more than half its spending unrelated to real infrastructure

Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, issued the following statement after joining a White House briefing announcing details of the Biden Administration's transportation proposal.

Rep. LaMalfa said, "In a bait-and-switch that has quickly become Biden's go-to method of selling wildly progressive schemes to the American people, Biden's promised infrastructure proposal is little more than a radical far-left wish list with more than half its spending unrelated to real infrastructure. A highway bill is not the place for social spending that should be more appropriately debated in other venues, and it certainly isn't the proper vehicle to hide the Green New Deal and other outlandish, harmful policies. Although the spending authorized by this proposal sunsets, its tax increases are permanent, providing short-term benefits but permanent pain. And because the Administration made no effort towards bipartisanship, it will inevitably require Democrats to once again abuse the budget reconciliation process to force this bill down our throats. Instead of justifying the nationalization of our economy with the vague and empty promise of ‘green jobs,' President Biden and Democrats should give the American people a true infrastructure package to revitalize our economy."

President Biden's proposal includes two parts, a "Rebuilding America" piece that includes hundreds of millions in "green" spending and an "Investing in ‘Human Infrastructure'" pieces that includes childcare and long-term care, prescription drug overhauls, universal preschool, free community college, and an expansion of the paid leave benefit. His proposal would institute an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, in addition to a "global minimum tax" on U.S. corporations, that will inevitably be passed on to consumers through higher prices and lower wages and employment.