President Joe Biden tapped five of his Cabinet secretaries on Thursday to spearhead an effort to get Congress to pass his freshly unveiled $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, tasking them with what’s likely to be a tough job as Republicans balk at the wide-ranging spending package.
Biden, speaking at his first full Cabinet meeting in the East Room of the White House, said the push for his American Jobs Plan will be lead by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.
“These Cabinet members will represent me in dealing with Congress, engage the public in selling the plan, and help work out the details as we refine it and move forward,” Biden, who was flanked by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said at the top of the meeting.
The president did not take any questions before reporters were led out of the room.
The $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal, which Biden rolled out during an event in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, is likely going to be a tough sell in Congress.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Thursday that Biden’s sweeping proposal “is not going to get support from our side.”
“I’m going to fight them every step of the way, because I think this is the wrong prescription for America,” McConnell said at a news conference in his home state.
Republicans are upset that Biden is proposing to pay for a variety of infrastructure investments by hiking the corporate tax rate from the current 21% to 28%.
Biden has pushed back by noting that the corporate rate used to be even higher than 28% before former President Donald Trump lowered it to 21% with his signature 2017 tax cuts, which mostly benefited the wealthy.