Presidential Address Outlines Infrastructure Spending Plan

In his first presidential address to Congress Tuesday night, Donald Trump laid out much of his legislative agenda.

During this address, Trump said “the time has come for a new program of national rebuilding.” “America has spent approximately $6 trillion in the Middle East, all this while our infrastructure at home is crumbling. With this $6 trillion we could have rebuilt our country — twice. And maybe even three times if we had people who had the ability to negotiate.”

Congress will be asked to approve legislation that would allocate $1 trillion to U.S. infrastructure, which Trump estimates would create millions of new jobs.

The funds are forecasted to come from both public and private capital. “This effort will be guided by two core principles: Buy American, and hire American,” Trump said. Experts say the United States needs a huge increase in public infrastructure spending.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the country’s infrastructure a grade of D+ and says $3.6 trillion in spending is required by 2020.

The Administration will likely find support for this infrastructure package.  According to a 2016 Gallup poll, 75% of Americans want the federal government to increase infrastructure spending.