President Trump plans to put his long-awaited infrastructure package at the top of his 2018 agenda, eager to notch another legislative victory now that he’s signed a major tax overhaul.
“We’re going to get infrastructure; infrastructure is the easiest of all,” Trump said in the Oval Office last week when he signed the tax bill into law. “People want it, Republicans and Democrats.”
But the ambitious rebuilding effort could face roadblocks in both parties, with Republicans concerned about new government spending and Democrats wary of handing Trump another win.
Here are five obstacles that could knock Trump's infrastructure plan off course.
Democrats
While the infrastructure proposal has long been billed as one of Trump’s few bipartisan initiatives, Democrats have so far balked at the rebuilding ideas floated by the White House.
The administration has proposed giving tax credits to the private sector for backing infrastructure projects and rewarding cities and states that raise their own revenue for infrastructure. The White House also plans to use $200 billion in federal seed money, along with massive permit reform, to leverage $1 trillion worth of infrastructure investment.
Democrats have slammed the public-private partnership model as a corporate giveaway that will only lead to more toll ways. They worry the administration’s proposed local incentive program will pave the way for “devolution” — or eventually handing off all federal infrastructure duties to local governments.
Fiscal conservatives
An infrastructure bill was always going to be a tough sell with fiscal conservatives, who are wary of massive federal spending on transportation.
Funding offsets
One of the biggest question marks surrounding Trump’s infrastructure plan is how to pay for it.
While the administration has outlined the broad contours of Trump’s rebuilding proposal, there have been far less clues about how it will be funded.
Crowded agenda
Lawmakers are facing a daunting to-do list in the first few months of 2018, increasing the chances that infrastructure could be pushed off the agenda.
When members return to Washington next month, they will have to quickly grapple with all the sticky issues they left unfinished when passing a stopgap spending bill last week to keep the government open until Jan. 19.
Midterm elections
Transportation advocates have long voiced concern that an infrastructure bill might not get over the finish line if it gets pushed back to 2018.
Part of the reason is that there are midterm elections next year. Major achievements are generally more difficult in election years because there is less time on the legislative calendar and lawmakers are more conscious of how votes might impact them in primary races and general elections.
Read the full story from The Hill.
