This past Wednesday, House Democratic leaders unveiled their $760 billion, five-year infrastructure proposal with a focus on climate change.
On its face, this is good news for those in the construction industry. I say it’s not. And it’s all in the subtext.
Before being elected, President Trump promised to spend “at least” $1 trillion on improving the country’s infrastructure. In February 2018, following his State of the Union address, he promised to spend $1.5 trillion on improving the nation’s infrastructure. Then, in April 2019, following a meeting with Democratic leaders at the White House, Democratic Leaders emerged announcing that President Trump had agreed on a $2 trillion proposed infrastructure plan.
Then, of course, came the impeachment inquiry, and the all but assured acquittal of President Trump by the U.S. Senate which is set to occur this coming week.
Now, it’s less about addressing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and more about politics. By unveiling a proposal with an emphasis on climate change (which President Trump denies) and leaving it to President Trump to make good on his promises and his self-description of being the “builder president” by coming up with a plan to fund it (when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said that he’s opposed to big budget infrastructure spending), Democrats are attempting to drive home the message that President Trump hasn’t delivered on his promises or, alternatively, that Democrats have delivered or attempted to deliver on theirs, all in anticipation of the November elections.
Infrastructure, in short, is officially dead.