President Donald Trump is poised to unveil a long-awaited plan Monday that aims to stimulate $1.5 trillion in new spending on the country's ailing infrastructure over the coming decade, but many lawmakers in both parties say the president isn't providing a viable way to pay for his initiative.

A year in the making, the proposal is an attempt to fulfill a marquee campaign promise and would rely heavily on states, localities and the private sector to cover the costs of new roads, bridges, waterways and other public works projects.

The plan calls for investing $200 billion in federal money over the coming decade to entice other levels of government and the private sector to raise their spending on infrastructure by more than $1 trillion to hit the administration's goal of $1.5 trillion in new funding over 10 years. It also seeks to dramatically reduce the time required to obtain environmental permits for such projects.

White House aides say Trump is open to a new source of funding to cover the federal share — such as raising the federal gas tax for the first time since 1993 — but Congress will have to make such decisions.

For now, the White House is suggesting that lawmakers cut money from elsewhere in the budget, including some existing infrastructure programs. That prospect seems unlikely given that Congress just last week reached a bipartisan deal to spend significantly more funds over the coming two years.

"I think it's just dead on arrival. ... It's not a plan that will really work," said Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill., a member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus that works on bipartisan solutions. "Are Republicans going to embrace any kind of funding plan besides stealing from Peter to pay Paul within the federal government?"

In a statement Sunday, Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said legislation "needs to be bipartisan, fiscally responsible and make real long-term investments in our nation."

He has repeatedly called for a sustainable source of funding. At the recent GOP retreat in West Virginia, he floated the idea of raising the gas tax. It's "the elephant in the room," Shuster said.

In a briefing over the weekend for reporters, senior White House aides stressed that Trump's plan is intended to be an opening bid on legislation that will require bipartisan cooperation to pass.

"This in no way, shape or form should be considered a take-it-or-leave-it proposal," said one senior official, who requested anonymity to provide a preview of the president's plan. "This is the start of a negotiation — bicameral, bipartisan negotiation — to find the best solution for infrastructure in the U.S."

As crafted, the plan faces obstacles in both parties.

Democrats have long championed public works projects as a way to create jobs and stimulate the economy, but they are calling for a far larger federal investment than Trump will propose. Just last week, House Democrats unveiled an alternative plan, dubbed "A Better Deal to Rebuild America," that envisioned $1 trillion in direct federal spending — five times what Trump will propose.

Many Republicans, meanwhile, are leery of any new spending, particularly in the wake of passage last year of a $1.5 trillion tax cut plan and last week's budget agreement that will pump more than $500 billion in additional money into domestic agencies and the Pentagon over two years, the biggest increase in spending in almost a decade.

Trump, who is trying to turn the page after a week of turmoil surrounding allegations of spousal abuse against two male aides, plans to tout his infrastructure plan on Monday morning at a White House event with state and local officials.

Aides say in coming weeks he will travel around the country to highlight both the need for new infrastructure projects and instances where states and localities have crafted the kind of projects that his administration is trying to stimulate more broadly.

Many in Washington have wondered whether Trump should have led with an infrastructure proposal as a means to build support for his unorthodox presidency.

Instead, coming a year into his tumultuous tenure, the initiative is being pushed in a toxic partisan environment, following bruising battles over health care and taxes and amid bitter tensions over the Russia probe into election meddling.

Of the proposed $200 billion in federal spending over the coming decade, half of it would be used to create an incentives program to reward states and localities that invest more in infrastructure projects. The money would be doled out on a competitive basis, with awards that amount to up to 20 percent of a project's cost, aides said.

To qualify, states and localities would have to be willing to raise new revenue for their projects. White House aides offered several examples, including increases in property taxes or sales taxes or an increase in tolls or other user fees.

Another $50 billion would be directed to rural infrastructure programs, distributed to governors through block grants. That's in keeping with what White House aides say is a broader philosophical shift to give states and localities a greater say in their infrastructure priorities than the federal government.

Another $20 billion would be spent on "transformative" projects, such as plans to build tunnels for high-speed trains.

The remaining $30 billion would be used to significantly expand loan programs, for private activity bonds and for a capital financing fund. Those provisions are likely to draw more support.

Lawmakers in both parties agree that the low-cost government loan programs for highways and rail projects that began in the late 1990s are working well and should be expanded.

While Trump's push to streamline permitting has been panned by environmentalists, that provision is also likely to garner significant support.

"We've had projects that seem to take forever," said Mick Cornett, the mayor of Oklahoma City who is a Republican candidate for governor. "Here's an example: I used to be a journalist and I covered a city council meeting in 1998 where they chose a new route for Interstate 40 through Oklahoma City. I ended up cutting the ribbon on that route in 2012."

Taken as a whole, Trump's proposal is more of a "financing plan" than a "funding plan," said Mike Friedberg, a former staff director of a subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Friedberg said while Democrats prefer the latter, he sees "a little momentum" on Capitol Hill for some sort of deal. "I don't think it's dead," he said.

Others are skeptical, particularly of legislation emerging from Congress that closely tracks Trump's plan.</s>President Trump put underperforming federal workers on notice Monday, including in his $4 trillion budget plan a major overhaul for how hiring and firing is done in the D.C. bureaucracy.

Following on Trump’s campaign promise to “drain the swamp,” the plan calls for several big changes. This includes ending automatic pay hikes that kick in “irrespective of performance,” changing retirement benefits and making it easier to fire bad employees and reward good ones.

“The workforce and the workplace have evolved in recent decades. But the Government personnel system remains a relic of an earlier era. Federal workers themselves overwhelmingly agree in surveys that the existing system fails to reward the best performers or appropriately deal with the worst performers,” a White House budget fact sheet reads, describing the plan as bringing the government in line with private-sector practices.

Trump previewed the plan in his first State of the Union address last month. During the speech, the president called on Congress to “empower every Cabinet Secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.” – READ MORE

President Trump is calling to pump $1.5 trillion into fixing America’s infrastructure while streamlining the often-cumbersome permitting process, as part of a $4 trillion-plus budget plan unveiled Monday.

“Washington will no longer be a roadblock to progress. Washington will now be your partner,” Trump said at a meeting with state and local officials at the White House.

Unlike last year’s plan, the fiscal 2019 blueprint does not seek to balance the budget over the next decade. Combined with a newly passed spending deal and sweeping tax cuts, the budget would see the federal deficit once again rising past $1 trillion in the near-term.

Under the plan, $200 billion of the $1.5 trillion in proposed spending would be federal dollars, which a senior administration official said would come from “reductions in other areas of the budget.” The plan calls on state and local governments and the private sector to put up most of the funding. The federal funding would be used to match local spending, provide “incentives” and expand loan programs.

The plan also would boost investment for projects in rural America — including transportation, broadband, water, waste, power, flood management and ports — by $50 billion in a bid to address criticism from some Republican senators that the Trump administration’s initial emphasis on public-private partnerships would do little to help those areas. – READ MORE</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's infrastructure proposal (all times local):

President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass what he's calling the "biggest and boldest" infrastructure plan.

Trump is making his case as he meets with a group of local and state officials, including governors, state legislators, mayors and country commissioners.

Trump says local leaders understand the challenges of funding infrastructure and says his is a "common sense and bipartisan plan" that Congress should support.

He also says Washington should be a partner to local governments and no longer "a roadblock to progress."

Trump's plan envisions using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix roads, highways, ports and airports.

The plan would fulfill a key campaign goal but rely heavily on state and local government budgets.

President Donald Trump is meeting with a group of governors, mayors and local leaders at the White House to build support for his infrastructure proposal.

The White House says the meeting will include governors from eight states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Maine, New Mexico, Virginia, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

A number of mayors will be attending from cities like Las Vegas, Fort Worth, Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina and Wichita, Kansas. The gathering will also include state legislators and county commissioners.

The White House is releasing a 55-page "legislative outline" on the proposal, which envisions spurring $1.5 trillion in spending over a decade to rebuild roads, highways and airports.

The proposal would rely heavily on state and local government for much of the funding.

President Donald Trump is predicting a "big week" for the roll out of his administration's infrastructure plan.

The president tweeted Monday that after "so stupidly spending $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is now time to start investing in OUR Country!"

The White House is unveiling its goal of spurring $1.5 trillion in funding over 10 years to rebuild roads, highways, ports and airports. The plan centers on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state dollars for the projects.

Trump is meeting with state and local leaders at the White House on Monday to discuss the plan.

President Donald Trump is unveiling his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of his campaign goals. But it relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding.

The administration's plan is centered on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix America's infrastructure, such as roads, highways, ports and airports.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the "crumbling" state of the nation's roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe that Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of campaign goals, but relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding.

The administration’s plan is centered on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix America’s infrastructure, such as roads, highways, ports and airports.

“Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and — where appropriate — tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit,” Trump said at last month’s State of the Union address.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the “crumbling” state of the nation’s roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe that Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure.

But the administration chose to begin with health care and relations with Democrats have only grown more strained during a turbulent, contentious year. The White House, now grappling with the fallout from the departure of a senior aide after spousal abuse allegations, may not have an easy time navigating a massive infrastructure plan through a polarized Congress. It just grappled with two federal government shutdowns and will soon turns its attention to immigration.

Administration officials previewing the plan said it would feature two key components: an injection of funding for new investments and help speed up repairs of crumbling roads and airports, as well as a streamlined permitting process that would truncate the wait time to get projects underway. Officials said the $200 billion in federal support would come from cuts to existing programs.

Half the money would go to grants for transportation, water, flood control, cleanup at some of the country’s most polluted sites and other projects.

States, local governments and other project sponsors could use the grants — which administration officials view as incentives — for no more than 20 percent of the cost. Transit agencies generally count on the federal government for half the cost of major construction projects, and federal dollars can make up as much as 80 percent of some highway projects.

About $50 billion, would go toward rural projects — transportation, broadband, water, waste, power, flood management and ports. That is intended to address criticism from some Republican senators that the administration’s initial emphasis on public-private partnerships would do little to help rural, GOP-leaning states

Early reaction to the proposal was divided.

Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, saluted Trump “for providing the leadership we have desperately needed to reclaim our rightful place as global leader on true 21st-century infrastructure.”

“When ports are clogged, trucks are delayed, power is down, water is shut off, or the internet has a lapse, modern manufacturers’ ability to compete is threatened and jobs are put at risk,” said Timmons. “There is no excuse for inaction, and manufacturers are committed to ensuring that America seizes this opportunity.”

But a number of Democrats and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pushed the administration to commit far more federal dollars, funded by tax increases, or by closing tax loopholes. And environmental groups expressed worry about its impact.

“President Trump’s infrastructure proposal is a disaster,” said Shelley Poticha, of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It fails to offer the investment needed to bring our country into the 21st century. Even worse, his plan includes an unacceptable corporate giveaway by truncating environmental reviews.”

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Crutsinger at http://twitter.com/@mcrutsinger</s>The Latest on President Donald Trump's infrastructure proposal (all times local):

President Donald Trump is predicting a "big week" for the roll out of his administration's infrastructure plan.

The president tweeted Monday that after "so stupidly spending $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is now time to start investing in OUR Country!"

The White House is unveiling its goal of spurring $1.5 trillion in funding over 10 years to rebuild roads, highways, ports and airports. The plan centers on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state dollars for the projects.

Trump is meeting with state and local leaders at the White House on Monday to discuss the plan.

President Donald Trump is unveiling his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of his campaign goals. But it relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding.

The administration's plan is centered on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix America's infrastructure, such as roads, highways, ports and airports.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the "crumbling" state of the nation's roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe that Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure.</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of campaign goals, but relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding.

The administration’s plan is centered on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix America’s infrastructure, such as roads, highways, ports and airports.

“Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and — where appropriate — tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit,” Trump said at last month’s State of the Union address.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the “crumbling” state of the nation’s roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe that Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure.

But the administration chose to begin with health care and relations with Democrats have only grown more strained during a turbulent, contentious year. The White House, now grappling with the fallout from the departure of a senior aide after spousal abuse allegations, may not have an easy time navigating a massive infrastructure plan through a polarized Congress. It just grappled with two federal government shutdowns and will soon turns its attention to immigration.

Administration officials previewing the plan said it would feature two key components: an injection of funding for new investments and help speed up repairs of crumbling roads and airports, as well as a streamlined permitting process that would truncate the wait time to get projects underway. Officials said the $200 billion in federal support would come from cuts to existing programs.

Half the money would go to grants for transportation, water, flood control, cleanup at some of the country’s most polluted sites and other projects.

States, local governments and other project sponsors could use the grants — which administration officials view as incentives — for no more than 20 percent of the cost. Transit agencies generally count on the federal government for half the cost of major construction projects, and federal dollars can make up as much as 80 percent of some highway projects.

About $50 billion, would go toward rural projects — transportation, broadband, water, waste, power, flood management and ports. That is intended to address criticism from some Republican senators that the administration’s initial emphasis on public-private partnerships would do little to help rural, GOP-leaning states

Early reaction to the proposal was divided.

Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, saluted Trump “for providing the leadership we have desperately needed to reclaim our rightful place as global leader on true 21st-century infrastructure.”

“When ports are clogged, trucks are delayed, power is down, water is shut off, or the internet has a lapse, modern manufacturers’ ability to compete is threatened and jobs are put at risk,” said Timmons. “There is no excuse for inaction, and manufacturers are committed to ensuring that America seizes this opportunity.”

But a number of Democrats and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pushed the administration to commit far more federal dollars, funded by tax increases, or by closing tax loopholes. And environmental groups expressed worry about its impact.

“President Trump’s infrastructure proposal is a disaster,” said Shelley Poticha, of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It fails to offer the investment needed to bring our country into the 21st century. Even worse, his plan includes an unacceptable corporate giveaway by truncating environmental reviews.”</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal that fulfills a number of campaign goals, but relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding.

The administration’s plan is centered on using $200 billion in federal money to leverage local and state tax dollars to fix America’s infrastructure, such as roads, highways, ports and airports.

“Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and — where appropriate — tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit,” Trump said at last month’s State of the Union address.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the “crumbling” state of the nation’s roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe that Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure.

But the administration chose to begin with health care and relations with Democrats have only grown more strained during a turbulent, contentious year. The White House, now grappling with the fallout from the departure of a senior aide after spousal abuse allegations, may not have an easy time navigating a massive infrastructure plan through a polarized Congress. It just grappled with two federal government shutdowns and will soon turns its attention to immigration.

Administration officials previewing the plan said it would feature two key components: an injection of funding for new investments and help speed up repairs of crumbling roads and airports, as well as a streamlined permitting process that would truncate the wait time to get projects underway. Officials said the $200 billion in federal support would come from cuts to existing programs.

Half the money would go to grants for transportation, water, flood control, cleanup at some of the country’s most polluted sites and other projects.

States, local governments and other project sponsors could use the grants — which administration officials view as incentives — for no more than 20 percent of the cost. Transit agencies generally count on the federal government for half the cost of major construction projects, and federal dollars can make up as much as 80 percent of some highway projects.

About $50 billion, would go toward rural projects — transportation, broadband, water, waste, power, flood management and ports. That is intended to address criticism from some Republican senators that the administration’s initial emphasis on public-private partnerships would do little to help rural, GOP-leaning states

Early reaction to the proposal was divided.

Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, saluted Trump “for providing the leadership we have desperately needed to reclaim our rightful place as global leader on true 21st-century infrastructure.”

“When ports are clogged, trucks are delayed, power is down, water is shut off, or the internet has a lapse, modern manufacturers’ ability to compete is threatened and jobs are put at risk,” said Timmons. “There is no excuse for inaction, and manufacturers are committed to ensuring that America seizes this opportunity.”

But a number of Democrats and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pushed the administration to commit far more federal dollars, funded by tax increases, or by closing tax loopholes. And environmental groups expressed worry about its impact.

“President Trump’s infrastructure proposal is a disaster,” said Shelley Poticha, of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It fails to offer the investment needed to bring our country into the 21st century. Even worse, his plan includes an unacceptable corporate giveaway by truncating environmental reviews.”</s>WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump today unveiled a massive $1.5 trillion plan to modernise America's infrastructure including $200 billion in federal funding Describing it as a most comprehensive infrastructure bill in the history of the US, Trump said the plan addresses more than traditional infrastructure - like roads, bridges and airports - such as drinking and wastewater systems, waterways, water resources, energy, rural infrastructure, public lands, veterans' hospitals and Brownfield and Superfund sites."To help build a better future for all Americans, I ask the Congress to act soon on an infrastructure bill that will: stimulate at least $1.5 trillion in new investment over the next 10 years, shorten the process for approving projects to two years or less, address unmet rural infrastructure needs, empower State and local authorities and train the American workforce of the future," Trump said in a message to the Congress."The reforms set forth in my plan will strengthen the economy, make our country more competitive, reduce the costs of goods and services for American families and enable Americans to build their lives on top of the best infrastructure in the world," Trump said.According to the plan, new investments will be made in rural America which has been left behind for too long, decision making authority will be returned to State and local governments, regulatory barriers that needlessly get in the way of infrastructure projects will be removed, permitting for infrastructure projects will be streamlined and shortened.Noting that $200 billion in Federal funds will spur at least $1.5 trillion in new infrastructure investments, the White House said federal infrastructure spending will promote State, local and private investments and maximise the value of every taxpayer dollar.Of the $200 billion, $100 billion will create an Incentives Programme to spur additional dedicated funds from States, localities and the private sector.$20 billion will be dedicated to the Transformative Projects Programme. $20 billion will be allocated to expanding infrastructure financing programmes. Of the $20 billion, $14 billion will go to expanding a number of existing credit programmes: TIFIA, WIFIA, RRIF and rural utility lending.While $6 billion will go to expanding Private Activity Bonds , $10 billion will go to a new Federal Capital Revolving Fund which will reduce inefficient leasing of Federal real property which would be more cost-effective to purchase.According to the White House, $50 billion of the $200 billion in direct Federal funding will be devoted to a new Rural Infrastructure Programme to rebuild and modernise infrastructure in rural America."The bulk of the dollars in the Rural Infrastructure Programme will be allocated to State governors, giving States the flexibility to prioritise their communities' needs. The remaining funds will be distributed through rural performance grants to encourage the best use of taxpayer dollars," the White House said.Working with Congress, the White House said that the administration will establish a "one agency, one decision" structure for environmental reviews, shorten the lengthy environmental review process to two years while still protecting the environment, eliminate certain redundant and inefficient provisions in environmental laws and create two new pilot programmes to test new ways to improve the environmental review process.</s>Prototypes for US President Trump's border wall with Mexico are seen behind the current border fence in this picture taken in Tijuana, Mexico.

WASHINGTON - The White House said on Sunday (Feb 11) its budget proposal would include US$200 billion (S$265 billion) for infrastructure spending and US$23 billion for enhanced border security to help fulfil campaign promises by US President Donald Trump.

The budget plan to be released on Monday (US time) also proposes a US$3 trillion deficit cut over 10 years, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a statement.

"Just like every American family, the Budget makes hard choices: fund what we must, cut where we can, and reduce what we borrow," Mulvaney added.

He said the plan would also request federal funds for opioid treatment programmes and improving the health of military veterans.

Presidential budgets carry no enforcement mechanism and are viewed largely by Congress as suggestions.

Topping the priorities in the budget plan is the US$200 billion request in federal funds to spur about US$1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments with state, local and private partners, Mulvaney said.

Following last week's congressional passage of a two-year spending plan, Mulvaney said the administration was also seeking"US$21 billion to jumpstart key elements of the infrastructure initiative".

The budget plan will request more than US$23 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, including US$18 billion over two years to build a border wall with Mexico, Mulvaney said.

Trump has promised to build the border wall to keep out illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. Democrats oppose funding the wall, which they view as unnecessary.

The budget proposal also includes US$782 million to hire and support 2,750 additional officers and agents at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mulvaney said.

Coupled with that proposed spending is a US$2.7 billion request to pay for what the White House called an "average daily detention capacity of 52,000 illegal aliens at ICE, the agency's highest-ever detention level".

The budget also seeks US$85.5 billion in discretionary funding for veteran health services, including homelessness programmes, readjustment counselling and vocational rehabilitation.

The budget request will be delivered to Congress only days after Trump signed into law a bipartisan spending agreement hammered out by lawmakers that will increase domestic spending by US$300 billion over two years - including $165 billion in defence spending and US$131 billion in non-military domestic spending.

Mulvaney said earlier on Sunday that all that money did not need to be spent.</s>The White House on Monday officially released a 55-page proposal for President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump awards Medal of Valor, civilian honors to responders in Dayton and El Paso shootings Texas Democrats unveil 'path to victory' plan for 2020 The Hill's 12:30 Report: Congress returns with gun violence, funding atop agenda MORE's long-awaited infrastructure overhaul.

The plan puts forth a framework for lawmakers to craft legislation for a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package that would focus on public-private partnerships and funding from state and local governments.

The plan is structured around four main goals: generating $1.5 trillion for an infrastructure proposal, streamlining the permitting process down to two years, investing in rural infrastructure projects and advancing workforce training.

“My Administration’s plan addresses more than traditional infrastructure — like roads, bridges, and airports — but addresses other needs like drinking and wastewater systems, waterways, water resources, energy, rural infrastructure, public lands, veterans’ hospitals, and Brownfield and Superfund sites,” Trump said in the White House document.

“The reforms set forth in my plan will strengthen the economy, make our country more competitive, reduce the costs of goods and services for American families, and enable Americans to build their lives on top of the best infrastructure in the world.”

The federal government would contribute $200 billion to the package, a figure Democrats have already denounced as too small.

“After repeatedly failing to live up to his infrastructure promises, the release of Trump’s infrastructure plan today once again falls short,” the Democratic National Committee wrote in an email to reporters upon the proposal’s release.

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“Trump’s plan is just another giveaway to corporations and wealthy developers at the expense of American workers, and it fails to address some of the most pressing infrastructure needs our country faces.”

The administration said it used input from state and local officials, members of Congress, industry leaders and federal agencies to compile the framework.

The proposal confirms many previously leaked details about a White House rebuilding initiative, in which state and local governments, in addition to private investment, would foot much of the bill.

The plan is likely to face opposition from Democrats, who have already called for more direct federal investment; they released their own plan last week that boasted $1 trillion in government spending.

It's also sure to put the administration at odds with environmental groups, who worry that efforts to streamline permitting would hurt environmental protections.

The $200 billion will be included in the Trump administration's 2019 fiscal spending blueprint, which is also scheduled for release on Monday.

Half of the federal seed money would go toward an incentive program to match financing from state and local governments investing in rebuilding projects, while a quarter of the appropriations would be used for rural projects in the form of block grants to states so governors may decide where to invest.

Twenty billion would be for “transformative programs” meant for new projects rather than rehabilitation of old infrastructure. Another $20 billion is allocated to expand the use of loans and private activity bonds, a common tool used to fund infrastructure projects. The last $10 billion would go into a "capital financing fund."

Trump will host key lawmakers from both parties at the White House on Wednesday to continue the infrastructure discussion, providing the administration a chance to convince those critical of the proposal.

Some industry groups, however, praised the administration for breathing life into a subject experts have spent years arguing must be addressed to fix the nation's crumbling roads, bridges, transit systems and other public works.

“For years, plenty of people have been willing to talk about modernizing our nation’s infrastructure, but few have been willing to take action. We applaud the Trump administration for laying out its vision for moving ahead on this critical issue,” Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement ahead of the plan’s unveiling.

Updated at 11:20 a.m.
President Trump also introduces his US$1.5 trillion federal infrastructure plan to several governors and mayors at the White House.