Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he would not support the latest version of an infrastructure bill because of how lawmakers want to pay for it. The White House agreed in part, saying for the president, any proposal to tax zero-emission vehicles is a non-starter.
"What is in the bipartisan bill in terms of spending is, from what I can see, mostly good,” the Vermont senator said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “It is roads and bridges, and we need to do that. That is what we are proposing in our legislation but in much greater numbers.”
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"One of the concerns that I do have about the bipartisan bill is how they are going to pay for their proposals, and they're not clear yet," Sanders pondered. "I don't know that they even know yet."
Sanders speculated some legislators would like to consider increasing the federal tax on gasoline or levying a tax on electric vehicles, as proposed by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) last week. Both are non-starters for Sanders. "Those are proposals that I would not support," Sanders said firmly.
But Sanders, the Senate Budget Committee chair, said a Democratic bill -- which would include a significant Medicare expansion -- could pass through reconciliation in July. The Independent Senator said he supports “progressive taxation,” making wealthy corporations pay more, but not “regressive taxation,” such as a gas tax, fee on electric vehicles, or privatizing infrastructure.
Sanders drafted a $6 trillion version of the infrastructure deal that Senate Democrats want to push forward without bipartisan support, according to Business Insider’s sources. The White House said today it is not yet considering this version, stressing the president has already proposed how to pay for the bill.
Democrats hold a slim majority in the Senate. Passing legislation through budget reconciliation allows bills to be expedited and passed with only a simple majority.
President Joe Biden still hopes to reach a bipartisan deal. The White House said today Biden also opposes any fees on electric vehicles. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the president wants to grow the industry and incentivize buying clean cars.
"The bottom line here is this country faces crises,” Sanders told reporters. “Working families are struggling and it's about time we paid attention to their needs.”