Washington, D.C. — John Podesta, founder and chair of the board at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today on the infrastructure proposal circulating from members of the Senate “G20” group:
If the bipartisan $579 billion proposal opens the door to a parallel reconciliation bill that creates a fairer tax code to support American families and makes critical investments in the clean energy jobs of the future, this can be one part of a broader agenda. If the agreement closes the door to reconciliation, then it would be a bipartisan agreement to betray both middle-class families who have been struggling with child care and home care, and our children, who will be forced to watch their planet fry for the sake of Washington gridlock disguised as bipartisanship.
To be clear, any Republican demand that reconciliation be abandoned in exchange for their support should be rejected out of hand.
The reported list of payfors attached to this proposal also shields billionaires who have paid no taxes from contributing anything, while placing the burden on commuters and workers who are often living paycheck to paycheck. With astronomical income inequality holding our economy back, these payfors would only make the problem worse and are simply indefensible.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected].