MP Cindy Axne met with voters at an outdoor town hall in Valley Junction. (Photo by Katie Akin / Iowa Capital Dispatch)

US MP Cindy Axne says biofuels, childcare and broadband are top priorities for a massive infrastructure plan negotiated in Washington, DC

President Joe Biden is working with Republicans to reduce his $ 2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and secure bipartisan support. Some moderate Democrats have insisted Republicans are working side by side with Democrats on the billeven though the Democrats have a majority in both the House and Senate.

Axne, a Democrat from the 3rd Congressional District of Iowa, said Monday that she cannot commit to voting one way or the other until she sees a final version of the full infrastructure bill.

“It has to hit the really important things,” she said. “And if that is not the case with a bipartisan law, we must move forward with a law that does it.”

Axne visited Des Moines in late April through apply the first draft von Biden’s American Jobs Plan, the $ 2.3 trillion proposal that included traditional infrastructure needs such as roads and bridges, as well as funding for broadband and childcare modernization. Republicans have criticized the plan, arguing that many of the programs it contains aren’t actually infrastructure.

“Today (infrastructure) is broadband. Today it’s childcare. Today it’s all of these things that help Americans get to work and keep our economy going, ”Axne said in April, noting that the US needs to stay competitive with countries like China.

Since then, Biden has cut its proposal by more than $ 1 trillion. reported the New York Times. Still, the Republican counter-offers remain much lower. While Biden planned to fund the legislation through a corporate tax hike, Republicans intend to fund the plan with unspent COVID-19 aid money. Minority leader Senator Mitch McConnell said Republicans would not support raising taxes on corporations and that it would be a “hard sale” even for Democrats.

“Let’s reach an agreement on a smaller, yet significant and fully paid infrastructure.” he said.