Milbank: 'Infrastructure Week' now a metaphor for failure
By Dana Milbank
The Washington Post
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer sat down with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday to talk about an infrastructure bill, Trump’s acting chief of staff explained why they were wasting their time.
“Is an infrastructure deal realistic in 2019?” Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo asked Mick Mulvaney onstage at a Milken Institute event in California.
“Uhhh,” Mulvaney replied with a doubtful smile. He said Democrats want to “make a show,” but agreement “breaks down” over the administration’s determination to change environmental laws and other regulations. Anything else is “not acceptable to this president,” Mulvaney said, predicting that even the embattled trade deal Trump negotiated with Mexico and Canada has “a much better chance” of approval than an infrastructure deal.
Poof! There goes another Infrastructure Week.
For more than two years, Trump has been trying to roll out a giant infrastructure plan, as he promised during the campaign. At every step, the idea has faltered.
In June 2017, Trump pitched the framework of an infrastructure plan; but former FBI director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate immediately overshadowed the effort.
Trump tried again in August 2017; but Trump’s response to the racist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, totally eclipsed the effort.
A third attempt came in February 2018; and was trampled by the resignation of a White House official over domestic-abuse allegations; the Parkland, Florida, shooting; the indictment of Russian internet trolls and allegations of affairs by Trump.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/milbank-infrastructure-week-now-a-metaphor-for-failure/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=bea6a8ae11-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-bea6a8ae11-228635337
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