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Biden to push through infrastructure plan even without Republican support

WION Web Team
Washington, DC, United States of AmericaUpdated: Apr 05, 2021, 07:28 AM IST
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US President Joe Biden Photograph:(AFP)

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Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday Biden would prefer that his plan have Republican backing but, if that does not work, he would likely support using a procedural strategy called reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate.

US President Joe Biden will push through his $2 trillion infrastructure plan without the support of Republican lawmakers if he cannot reach a bipartisan deal.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday Biden would prefer that his plan have Republican backing but, if that does not work, he would likely support using a procedural strategy called reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate.

Biden’s plan would raise the corporate income tax rate after deductions to 28% from the current 21 per cent. His predecessor as president, Donald Trump, and Republican lawmakers cut the corporate rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent in 2017.

"As he has said, he was sent to the presidency to do a job for America. And if the vast majority of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, across the country support spending on our country and not allowing us to lose the race globally, then he`s going to do that," Granholm told CNN.

Since taking office in January, the Democratic president has repeatedly said he wants to work with Republicans. But the infrastructure plan so far looks unlikely to draw more bipartisan support than his first, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that passed with only Democratic support last month, using reconciliation.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, last week, vowed to fight it "every step of the way."