Sanders offers infrastructure amendment to budget

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) offered a budget amendment Monday aimed at bolstering U.S. infrastructure.  

Sanders, the ranking member of the Budget Committee, said the costs of his proposal would be offset by closing “huge” corporate tax loopholes.

{mosads}In addition to improving infrastructure, Sanders said his amendment would create up to nine million jobs over a six years.

“Now is the time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and when we do that, we will create or maintain some nine million good-paying jobs,” he said. “We cannot be a first-rate economy when we have a third-rate infrastructure. Everybody knows that.”

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), the Budget Committee chairman, said that while Sanders’ amendment to bolster infrastructure sounds great, there are “problems” in the details. 

“A corporate tax increase is not the long-term solution for the problems of the Highway Trust Fund,” he said. 

The Senate had been expected to take roll call votes Monday on budget amendments. Those votes were delayed on Monday afternoon. Sanders said he expects his amendment will instead get a vote on Tuesday.