Gov. Scott meets with Biden; Democrats unveil $3.5T bill
A view from Cabot Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott visited the White House on Wednesday to talk infrastructure with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and also state and local leaders.
Scott was among a small bipartisan group of governors and mayors visiting Washington, D.C., who also met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Boston's former mayor. The main topic of the day was the Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, which proposes $1.2 trillion in infrastructure investments.
In a statement released Wednesday, Scott noted the nation's great infrastructure needs and the importance of uniting around opportunities to address them.
“As I have long said, smart infrastructure investments are needed to repair America’s roads and bridges, invest in rural broadband and clean energy systems, create good jobs, and secure our economic future,” Scott said.
The president's proposed framework includes funding for "clean transportation infrastructure, clean water infrastructure, universal broadband infrastructure, clean power infrastructure, remediation of legacy pollution, and resilience to the changing climate," according to the White House.
The meeting with governors came after Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a $3.5 trillion investment plan that would be in addition to the existing $1.2 trillion infrastructure proposal, Reuters reported. The Senate Democrats' proposal focuses on what Biden has called "human infrastructure", including health care and home care workers. The $3.5 trillion plan would include a substantial expansion of the Medicare program, and further details were expected to be released this week.
So far, the Senate's 50 Republicans are not expected to back the plan, Reuters said, meaning Democrats may use the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill by a simple majority vote.
— Gareth Henderson
