GOP Rep: Trump Pushed Ryan To Add Infrastructure To GOP Priority List

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pumps his fist after a campaign speech, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, in Sarasota, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

PHILADELPHIA – Infrastructure wasn’t originally part of congressional Republicans’ plans for the first 200 days, but it was added out of deference to President Donald Trump, a Republican House member told reporters.

“The President asked that the infrastructure piece be included in the 200-day plan. And the impression that I got is that the Speaker [Paul Ryan] recognizes the importance of that to the President and that is now part of the 200-day plan,” Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) told reporters at the GOP retreat in Philadelphia Wednesday.

“Initially without the President’s input, that would not have been the case, but our President has been pretty clear on setting his priorities,” he said.

Trump made infrastructure spending a major promise of his campaign, but there is a rift among Republicans as to how to pay for it and what shape it should take. While Trump has expressed comfort with borrowing the money, congressional Republicans have said they would favor only a plan that is deficit neutral. Republicans would also prefer a plan centered on private investments and tax breaks for corporations to take on infrastructure projects – an approach Democrats would likely resist.

Collins said the infrastructure legislation would be coming “front and center.”

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  1. He’s going to bankrupt the country and try to declare bankruptcy, isn’t he? LOL

  2. Avatar for rssrai rssrai says:

    Trump wants that infrastructure plan so she can divide what is left of the country to his billionaire buddies so they can put tolls on bridges and roads.

  3. “congressional Republicans have said they would favor only a plan that is deficit neutral.”

    Ryan’s magic asterisks coupled with dynamic scoring can bring this home.

    A plan centered on tax breaks for corporations => more jobs => more taxable income => increased revenues. And if that is still not enough to bring the plan to deficit neutral they can factor in the revenue growth from Trump’s tax cut proposals.

  4. Any infrastructure plan has to go through Congress and I don;t think that’s happening anytime soon. Gonna cost too much money that should rightfully go to the 1%. We’ll see.

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