The first round of a heavyweight infrastructure title fight

The Republicans recently unveiled their US$568 billion infrastructure counterproposal to the Biden administration’s $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan (which includes $1.3 trillion for physical infrastructure). While it is roughly a quarter of the size of President Biden’s package, it sets a significant amount of funds toward “traditional infrastructure”, with plans to spend $299 billion on roads and bridges, $61 billion on public transit systems, and $65 billion on broadband expansion, among other investments. Meanwhile, President Biden’s proposal also includes allocations for such non-traditional infrastructure investments such as long-term care and alternative energy, which will likely mean some spirited debate over the coming months.