Democratic leaders said President Trump has agreed to pursue a $2 trillion infrastructure plan. However, the two sides did not agree on how to pay for the plan, which Democrats want to use to upgrade the nation’s highways, railroads, bridges, and broadband. They intend on meeting again in three weeks to discuss details.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with President Trump at the White House along with a dozen-member delegation of lawmakers.
According to Business Insider, Democrats want the federal government to fund projects. Republicans and Trump’s previous plans have called for small capital from the government that would incentivize private companies to make the rest of the investment.
According to the New York Times, Trump made it clear that he never supported the public-private partnership model that his former top economic advisor, Gary D. Cohn, had pitched.
This is the first sit-down between Trump and Democrats since the 35-day government shutdown last winter. Although the 90-minute meeting ended on a positive note, some Democrats saw the meeting as “out of step,” the New York Times reports.
Source: The New York Times & Business Insider
