Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine says he and other members of the bipartisan “problem solvers caucus” have been working for months on a $1.25 trillion infrastructure proposal, with money for highways, ports, rail, broadband and veterans housing.
Golden says the group first met at the mansion of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, and came to an agreement on the content and cost of the proposal.
Golden acknowledges that there may be a battle with the Senate or President Joe Biden, but says the bipartisan support should carry weight in the discussion.
“We’ve got 29 republicans and 29 democrats in the House stepping out and saying to the White House: 'Right now, we've got agreement on a $1.25 trillion piece of infrastructure.'"
Golden says the group is now working on a plan to pay for the bill, which may include more rigorous enforcement of existing tax laws.
"I do think that the presence of a group like this in the House saying, 'We can get to yes if we just stay at the table,' keeps the pressure on in the Senate and the White House to keep negotiating.”
