U.S. President Joe Biden will separate his sprawling plan to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure into two separate pieces that he will unveil weeks apart, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Sunday.
Psaki said on Fox News Sunday that Biden will unveil the first part of his plan, focusing on items like rebuilding roads and railways, on Wednesday. The second part of Biden’s plan will include child-care and health-care reforms — aspects of what is sometimes called social infrastructure — and will be released in "in just a couple of weeks," she said.
The New York Times reported on Monday that Biden’s advisors were recommending that Biden separate traditional infrastructure proposals from the other aspects of his plan geared at relieving burdens on families via social services. Taken as a whole, the legislation is expected to cost more than $3 trillion.
Some Biden advisors believe that dividing the package and pushing for the roads-and-bridges proposal first may make it easier to gain support from Republicans, the Times reported. Documents reviewed by the newspaper indicated that it could include $1 trillion devoted largely to building and repairing physical infrastructure, with a focus on fighting climate change.
The second part of Biden’s plan would include proposals like free community college and universal prekindergarten, according to the Times article. Psaki said the second plan "will address a lot of issues that American people are struggling with," and cited child care and the cost of health care.
Psaki suggested that Biden’s proposal may come with tax increases, but declined to provide details.
