The Transportation Secretary recently outlined the disadvantaged communities of color face in regards to U.S infrastructure.
What We Know:
- Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that he believes Republicans could be on board with Joe Biden’s plan. However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated he plans to fight the legislature. Buttigieg’s statements arrive amid the unveiling of President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan. Buttigieg described in an interview with theGrio how communities of color often face poor infrastructure and disadvantages compared to other regions in the United States. On a mass socioeconomic scale, Americans of color have been historically redlined from access to the same opportunities their white counterparts have.
- Redlining is the systemic denial of various services or goods by federal government agencies, local governments, or the private sector through the selective raising of prices. The bill is being called the “American Jobs Plan” by the White House. President Biden has given the task of selling the bill to Buttigieg and other members of his cabinet. Part of the selling point to Congress is to emphasize how the plan will introduce millions of jobs in the economy.
- Union workers are skeptical of the Biden Administration’s clean energy efforts responsible for creating those same jobs. Democrats have revealed they will not support the new measures until both state and local tax deductions are reinstated after the Trump administration capped them. The plan includes $621 billion in updates to modernize roads, rails, ports, airports, and mass transit. Additionally, the plan includes $45 billion to eliminate 100% of lead pipes.
- The plan also includes $400 billion for community-based care for elderly Americans, a $180 billion investment in clean energy, and $100 billion to build out high-speed broadband across the country. The money for the bill will be compensated by increasing corporate tax rates from 21% to 28%. The coming weeks will introduce a second package, focusing on human infrastructures like additional funding for schools, healthcare, and childcare.
Pete Buttigieg previously served as Mayor for South Bend, Indiana, before taking over as Transportation Secretary in the Biden administration.
