Reconciliation Is No Way to Pay for Infrastructure
Using a benighted budget procedure would undermine the Democrats’ own goals. It’s far better to seek a bipartisan deal.
Do it the right way.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
Not unexpectedly, bipartisan talks on an infrastructure plan have proved to be complicated and contentious. Many Democrats are losing patience and urging their leaders to give up and go it alone. That would be a mistake. A deal with support from both sides is still possible, and remains by far the best way forward for the American economy.
At issue are the size of the plan, exactly what it should fund, and — most acrimoniously — how to pay for it. Last week, President Joe Biden dropped out of negotiations with one group of Republicans and struck up talks with a bipartisan group in the Senate, which is offering a deal with $579 billion in new spending. Several other proposals are also in play, with bargaining set to continue for at least another week or so.