Republicans call for narrower infrastructure plan, while progressives think Biden hasn't gone far enough

On Sunday, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that he thinks President Biden's infrastructure plan would be a layup for the White House if it was scaled back.
"I've reached out to the White House a couple of times now and said, 'You've got an easy bipartisan win here if you keep this package narrowly focused on infrastructure,'" he said. "And then the other 70 or so percent of the package that doesn't have much to do with infrastructure, if you want to force that in a partisan way, you could still do that. Why would you pass up the opportunity here to focus on roads, bridges ... broadband, all of which wouldn't be 40 percent of this package."
But while Republicans, who are already prepared to reject the bill in its current form, want a streamlined version, progressive Democrats, though generally supportive of the framework, don't think Biden has gone far enough yet. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), for example, said Sunday that he believes another $30 billion would be needed to "fully address" America's affordable housing crisis.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) added that "we're probably going to want to put more" money into addressing climate change, and he specifically mentioned health care and making college more affordable as two other areas where "a lot of work has to be done."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Markets slide amid recession fears, Trump tariffs
Speed Read US stock markets have their worst day this year as Wall Street questions the Trump administration's trade war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Jet fuel risk: what effect will North Sea tanker crash have on environment?
Today's Big Question Collision area has massive populations of seabirds, such as puffins and gannets, while porpoises and seals breed nearby
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 11, 2025
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - gotta move fast, payload, and more
By The Week US Published
-
ICE arrests Palestinian advocate with green card
Speed Read Recent Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has had his visa revoked, despite his status as a permanent resident
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump doesn't rule out recession as tariffs bite
Speed Read In an interview for Fox News, Trump acknowledges the economic turbulence caused by his tariffs but claims his policies will be worth it in the long run
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mark Carney selected next Canadian prime minister
Speed Read The political novice will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump eases Mexico, Canada tariffs again as markets slide
speed read The president suspended some of the 25% tariffs he imposed on Mexican and Canadian imports
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not Musk
Speed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharing
Speed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rules against Trump on aid freeze
Speed Read The court rejected the president's request to freeze nearly $2 billion in payments for foreign humanitarian work
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published