Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif. 15th District) is urging his Republican colleagues to get onboard with President Joe Biden's sweeping $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, saying that the bill addresses many issues that plagued the country even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We know that as Americans get back to work, as the economy reopens, we'll be reminded of our crumbling infrastructure," Swalwell told Cheddar.
"Americans want to spend less time in their cars and more time with their families, so that means investing in rails, additional highways, roads, bridges, tunnels."
Swalwell also noted the potential for broadband expansion under the Biden proposal, particularly for students who have lacked access to adequate internet service during the establishment of distance learning.
The president's infrastructure plan calls for a hike in corporate taxes from 21 percent to 28 percent, a move that many Republicans have come out against though the proposal is still below the 35 percent rate that existed before the Trump administration. Swalwell said the GOP has to be "a part of this process" and hopes some are willing to cross the aisle for the benefit of the country at large.
"President Biden ran on a uniting-the-country agenda, and he is reaching across the aisle," Swalwell said. "And I hope he will find partners that will work with him."
"I'm confident, on our side, in the House, we will do what is needed to get done. I hope that on the Republican side in the Senate, that they can achieve 60 votes, meaning at least 10 Republicans cross the aisle for the infrastructure needs that are there."
In hopes of enticing Republican lawmakers to support Biden's plan, the California representative also pointed to the return of earmarks or "member-directed spending," which allow lawmakers to direct funds to specific projects or groups in their districts. Earmarks were temporarily banned by each party in 2011 after President Obama promised to veto any bill containing them during his State of the Union address.
Senate Republicans voted to permanently ban the practice in 2019 but have shown signs they may be willing to re-embrace them, according to The Hill.
Swalwell noted that not only are Democratic lawmakers supporting the American Jobs Plan, their constituents are also backing it.
"I just think good policy is good politics, and if we keep this country open, if the unemployment rate is low, and the economy grows, like Goldman Sachs predicted at 8 percent by the end of the year, I think Americans will want to return to responsible governance to Washington come 2022," he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris received impressive amount of media coverage in January for making history. However, the media attention waned significantly and some are now even saying she has almost disappeared from public view. Reecie Colbert, founder of BlackWomenViews Media, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss more.
If you thought you heard the last of the Mueller report back in 2019, you'd be wrong. While the bombshell report was the biggest story in Washington for years, much of the report remained redacted. Our friends at BuzzFeed News weren't satisfied, so they sued to have certain passages unredacted. They notched another win when a federal appeals court ordered ten passages from the report to be released.
Matt Topic, BuzzFeed's attorney in the case, and Jason Leopold, reporter at BuzzFeed News, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The U.S. reported its first confirmed case of the omicron variant in California on Wednesday. Scientists and health officials are racing to understand the variant, with the WHO saying it's still too early to determine whether it's more contagious, more deadly or more resistant to vaccines than other variants. Omicron has pushed members of the WHO to commit to start talks over a "gobal pandemic treaty" for future pandemic preparedness.
Priti Krishtel, co-founder and co-executive director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Wednesday was not a good day for those who believe in abortion rights in this country as the Supreme Court heard arguments on a Mississippi abortion law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The majority of the court appears poised to roll back abortion rights, and the questions from the conservative justices seemed to indicate the law for nearly 50 years is likely to change.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of Rewire News Group, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss Wednesday's hearing.
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, has been busy since completing his prison sentence in November. He's getting into the NFT space, selling his federal prison badge and the original manuscript of his book "Disloyal" as NFTs. Cohen joined Cheddar to discuss his latest venture and why he thinks there is still much to be revealed about his case.
Jonathan Adler, Law Professor at Case Western Reserve University, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss Tuesday's ruling and provide legal context to recent battles over vaccine mandates.
Carlo and Baker wrap up the week talking about the Biden economic boom that no one seems to notice, a verdict in the Jussie Smollett case, the first Starbucks union in America and the pleasures of the "dude nod."
A new bill in Congress shows just how bipartisan cannabis really is. Rep. David Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, teamed up with progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a cannabis expungement bill. Cheddar cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with the congressman about the legislation.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus have lined up to support the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act introduced by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif. 41st District). The representative joined Cheddar to discuss how instituting a four-day workweek in the United States can be beneficial for both employees with the need of a work-life balance and employers looking both to retain talent amid a labor shortage and improve efficiency in their workforces. "We live in a different time than 90 years ago when we established a 40-hour workweek," he said. "We've had a lot of technological changes, the American worker is exponentially more productive than previous generations, so it's time to reexamine Americans and the way in which they relate to work."
