Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told Hill.TV’s “Rising” on Thursday that a divided government could be the perfect environment for Congress to pass bipartisan infrastructure reform.
“I think an infrastructure package is probably the sweet spot. It’s also a really big deal,” Cramer told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Krystal Ball.
“We do have a highway bill that expires and we have to get something done, and we have the opportunity,” he continued.
“I actually think a divided government can be the perfect opportunity because everyone wants something, and when your negotiating partners want something, and you want something, there’s oftentimes a way to get there,” he said.
Infrastructure has long been seen as a rare point of common ground between Republicans and Democrats.
Almost one year ago, the Trump administration unveiled a plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure. It was quickly met with opposition in Congress, with Democrats saying the plan overly depended on funding from the private sector, as well as state and local governments.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), however, touted the potential of bipartisan agreement on infrastructure last November.
“I had a conversation with President Trump about how we could work together; one of the issues that came up was … building infrastructure for America, and I hope that we can achieve that,” Pelosi said at the time.
The idea of bipartisanship seems distant as Republicans and Democrats rush to reach a deal on border security before a Feb. 13 deadline in an effort to avoid another government shutdown.
— Julia Manchester
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