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MCCONNELL, MCCARTHY WON’T BUDGE ON OPPOSITION TO TAX HIKES
- By The Financial District
- May 13, 2021
- 2 min read
President Biden met on Wednesday (Thursday, May 13, 2021, in Manila) with Republican and Democratic leaders from both houses of Congress for the first time since taking office, but the discussion appeared to make only modest progress toward resolving disagreements on Mr. Biden’s proposals to spend $4 trillion on infrastructure and families.
The closed-door meeting at the White House included Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader; Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader; and their counterparts in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Representative Kevin McCarthy of California.
Vice President Kamala Harris also attended, Michael D. Shear, Nicholas Fandos and Zach Montague reported for the New York Times.
After the 90-minute meeting ended, the Republican leaders said it had been productive.
But both Mr. McConnell and Mr. McCarthy said they remained unwilling to consider any of the tax increases that Mr. Biden has suggested to pay for the spending.
“You won’t find any Republicans going to go raise taxes,” Mr. McCarthy said, referring to Mr. Biden’s desire to increase taxes on wealthy Americans that were lowered in the 2017 tax bill. “I think it’s the worst thing to do in this economy.”
He and Mr. McConnell also said that their membership remained at odds with the president about how to define infrastructure spending. Republicans have balked at Mr. Biden’s $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan, which would increase spending on home health aides, colleges, and broadband as well as more traditional infrastructure targets like roads and bridges.
And that is separate from the $1.8 trillion the administration has requested for the American Families Plan, which seeks to expand access to education, reduce the cost of child care, and support women in the workforce.
“We first have to start with a definition of what is infrastructure,” Mr. McCarthy said. “That’s not home health. That’s roads, bridges, highways, airports, broadband.” With GOP blocking the way forward, Democrats might as well move ahead, change the rules in the Senate and approve the legislation by rightfully ignoring the Republicans.
