Nation’s infrastructure needs are ‘massive,’ Dems tell Trump

WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders told President Donald Trump on Monday that American’s unmet infrastructure needs are “massive” and they want to hear from him on how to pay for improvements.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday. They sent him a letter outlining their priorities.

“The issue of infrastructure is a bipartisan Congressional priority and we believe there are significant majorities in both the House and Senate to take action on the issue,” they wrote.

Leaders of both parties have expressed a desire to pass legislation this year to boost the nation’s infrastructure. But big obstacles remain, including how to pay for it.

One of the president’s economic advisers said the White House would not be going into Tuesday’s meeting with a blueprint for an infrastructure bill.

“We’re going slowly on this,” said Larry Kudlow, director of the president’s National Economic Council. “We would like this to be bipartisan. We would like to work with them and come up with something both sides can agree to. It’s an important topic.”

Pelosi and Schumer said an infrastructure package should go beyond addressing roads and bridges and should also include provisions to enhance broadband, water systems, energy, schools and housing.

They also said it should include investments to make infrastructure more resilient to climate change and contain provisions that require the use of domestically produced materials.