Democratic senator says his party should move forward on infrastructure without GOP
Now, Van Hollen told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront,” his party should go it alone and pass a massive infrastructure plan with just Democratic votes.
“At the end of the day, if we can’t get the Republicans on board, we need to move forward,” the Maryland Democrat said. “And my view is that time has come.”
The White House is now shifting its focus toward an impending proposal from a bipartisan Senate group led by Manchin. But Van Hollen maintained Wednesday, “The most important thing is, at the end of the day, what we pass has to embrace that bold vision that President Biden put forward in both the American Jobs Plan and the American Family Plan.”
“And even if somehow this bipartisan agreement were to work out, it would not begin to cover and match that vision. So no matter what, we need to be working right now on that reconciliation package and bringing everyone on board,” he said.
The President, Van Hollen continued, “has negotiated in good faith, but just like he did with the American Rescue Plan, when Republicans refused to come to the table, we need to do the right thing for the country.”
CNN’s Lauren Fox, Jessica Dean, Daniella Diaz, Clare Foran and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
