WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Biden’s infrastructure plan is facing strong resistance from Republicans and even some Democrats.
“Well, that’s a good start,” West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said.
On CNN’s State of the Union, Manchin says the Republicans’ 600 billion dollar infrastructure plan is the way towards bipartisanship.
“I’m glad they did it. This is the way we start negotiations. They’ve put their best foot forward, but it’s a starting point,” Manchin said.
Manchin says he cannot support President Biden’s 2.3 trillion dollar plan. Like many republicans, Manchin says it’s too big.
“Because when you start putting so much into one bill, which we call an omnibus bill, it makes it very difficult for the public to understand,” Manchin said.
“Watch Joe Manchin; Joe’s going to be a key player here,” South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said.
Graham told Fox News Sunday, there’s no way Republicans will support a 2-trillion dollar bill.
“85% of it’s got nothing to do with infrastructure,” Graham said.
The President wants to pay for his plan by raising taxes, on the richest Americans and on big corporations. West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito is one of the sponsors of the smaller republican infrastructure plan.
“So, I think we’ve got some really good ideas that don’t incorporate raising any taxes but simply looks at the users and the consumers of infrastructure and says let’s pay with this,” Capito said.
Capito told CNN’s State of the Union that the White House is talking with her about the Republican plan, and she says there is a path towards bipartisanship.