2020 hopeful Delaney announces $2T plan to address infrastructure crisis

Former Rep. John Delaney‘s (D-Md.) presidential campaign on Wednesday announced a sweeping infrastructure plan, pledging $2 trillion to repair and upgrade roads, bridges and water systems.

Delaney’s plan would allocate more money to the Highway Trust Fund and create seven additional infrastructure funds covering climate resiliency, water infrastructure, schools, deferred maintenance, rural broadband and “areas left behind,” as well as a “national infrastructure bank.”

{mosads}The deferred maintenance fund would address the issue of necessary infrastructure maintenance that has historically only been addressed in response to specific emergencies.

“We need to confront the deferred maintenance needs of existing infrastructure to keep systems in good repair and prevent disasters,” the campaign states. “Demand is growing for freight and passenger rail capacity, and our current system is ridden with maintenance backlogs on projects with an average age of 111 years.”

“There are no easy answers to many of our economic issues but there are simple answers, including launching a massive, job-creating, community improving infrastructure program to rebuild our roads and bridges, extend rural broadband, improve decaying water systems, and build the advanced energy economy,” said Delaney. “As the author of the largest bipartisan infrastructure bill in the Congress, I know how to get this done.”

Delaney said the package would be “fully paid for” and vowed not to leave infrastructure meetings with congressional leaders “like a spoiled child,” a reference to a press appearance President Trump made last week after leaving a meeting with Democratic leaders over infrastructure. In the appearance, Trump vowed not to work with Democrats on an infrastructure passage until they ended various ongoing investigations into his businesses and administration.

Delaney, one of the first Democratic candidates to announce for the 2020 race, is one of a handful of hopefuls who has met the polling threshold to reach the debate stage but has not reached the fundraising threshold. Others include New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). The Democratic National Committee announced this week that for the next round of debates, candidates must cross both thresholds to qualify.