Moments ago in Pittsburgh, President Biden detailed his American Jobs Plan -- $2.25 trillion to create millions of clean energy and infrastructure jobs, paid for by taxing corporations and the rich.
As an infrastructure plan, it's a home run. Just a few years ago Bernie's $1 trillion plan was the gold standard.
As a climate plan, it's a significant down payment -- and more is needed to meet the urgency of the moment. Biden has another multi-trillion dollar plan around the corner.
Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have already begun their attacks on this American Jobs Plan, and they oppose any taxes on the rich.
USA Today reports, "Before Biden even offered specifics of his aims to fix the nation's roads, bridges and railways, Republicans he'll need to work with in Congress panned it."
The Hill adds "Republicans are shifting their line of attack on President Biden’s economic plans. After warning that Biden’s $1.9 trillion rescue plan would overheat the economy and lead to rampant inflation, many GOP lawmakers are now arguing that the recovery is too fragile to withstand any tax increases."
But here are some key points from The New York Times analysis of the plan:
"The spending in the plan would end decades of stagnation in federal investment in research and infrastructure -- and would return government investment in those areas, as a share of the economy, to its highest levels since the 1960s."
"Many of the items in the plan carry price tags that would have filled entire, ambitious bills in past administrations."
"Mr. Biden’s pledge to tackle climate change is embedded throughout the plan...plans to retrofit and weatherize millions of buildings would make them more energy efficient."
"The plan proposes spending $174 billion to encourage the manufacture and purchase of electric vehicles...would fund the construction of about a half-million electric vehicle charging stations...$100 billion in programs to update and modernize the electric grid...a federal mandate requiring that a certain percentage of electricity in the United States be generated by zero-carbon energy sources...$46 billion for government agencies to buy fleets of electric vehicles...$16 billion program intended to help fossil fuel workers transition to new work...$10 billion for a new 'Civilian Climate Corps'...and would eliminate tax preferences for fossil fuel producers."
"Among them: a total of $180 billion for research and development, $115 billion for roads and bridges, $85 billion for public transit, and $80 billion for Amtrak and freight rail. There is $42 billion for ports and airports, $100 billion for broadband and $111 billion for water infrastructure -- including $45 billion to ensure no child ever is forced to drink water from a lead pipe, which can slow children’s development and lead to behavioral and other problems."
"The plan seeks to repair 10,000 smaller bridges across the country, along with the 10 most economically significant ones in need of a fix. It would electrify 20 percent of the nation’s fleet of yellow school buses. It would spend $300 billion to promote advanced manufacturing, including a four-year plan to restock the country’s Strategic National Stockpile of pharmaceuticals, including vaccines, in preparation for future pandemics."
And there is even more beyond that.
Taken together, this plan will create millions of good-paying jobs, making massive investments in clean energy, and make huge steps toward addressing racial inequities.
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
-- The PCCC Team (@BoldProgressive)
Get progressive stickers, buttons, T-shirts, and more!
store.boldprogressives.org
FOLLOW US:
|
|
|
|
|
