Biden to unveil multitrillion-dollar infrastructure plan next week

[WASHINGTON] US President Joe Biden next week will travel to Pittsburgh, where he kicked off his presidential campaign in 2019, to unveil a multitrillion-dollar plan to rebuild America's infrastructure, choosing a backdrop of an American city with a long union history.

Mr Biden is expected to push for a "Build Back Better" plan that could have a price tag as high as US$4 trillion to pay for traditional roads and bridges while also tackling climate change and domestic policy issues like income equality.

Biden is expected to travel to the Western Pennsylvania city on March 31, the White House said on Wednesday. Pittsburgh is a blue-collar city that is home to the United Steel Workers union, long a Biden ally.

The legislative effort is expected to be split into two parts, an initial package the deals with traditional transportation projects and a second one that addresses domestic priorities, such as universal pre-kindergarten, national childcare and free community college tuition.

Mr Biden, on the campaign trail, signalled that he would pay for the package in part by repealing President Donald Trump's tax cuts for high-income earners. Congressional Republicans have already signalled they may oppose the plan due to the expected tax increases and Democrats using the effort to impose sweeping policy changes.

Mr Biden was expected to be briefed on the plan sometime this week and White House officials said the final details remain fluid.

"He is considering a range of options, scopes and sizes of plans and will discuss with his policy team in days ahead, but speculation is premature," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Twitter on Monday.

REUTERS