Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will reportedly propose rolling back parts of the the Republican tax plan as a way to generate government revenue and finance a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The news comes as both Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) prepare to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss funding for the long-touted infrastructure package. According to POLITICO, a “source close to Schumer said unless Trump considers rolling back some of the 2017 Republican tax cuts, the top Senate Democrat won’t even consider a proposal from the president to raise the gas tax.”
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Lawmakers from both parties are open to financing infrastructure reform through raising the federal gas tax; Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told reporters earlier this month that a gas tax hike was on the table, a move which has angered many conservative watchdog groups. While it is unlikely Trump will reverse a significant economic policy win, Schumer and Pelosi outlined three priorities ahead of the Tuesday meeting.
“America’s unmet infrastructure needs are massive, and a bipartisan infrastructure package must meet those needs with substantial, new and real revenue,” wrote the Democratic leaders. “A big and bold infrastructure package must be comprehensive and include clean energy and resiliency priorities… A big and bold infrastructure must have strong Buy America, labor, and women, veteran and minority-owned businesses.”
On the House side, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) will attend the meeting. Schumer, meanwhile, will be joined by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
