Op-ed: Republican and Democratic leaders are far apart on infrastructure. Here’s a common-sense compromise

Although we come from different parties and different levels of government, we came together in the shared conviction that any infrastructure bill will only be successful if both parties have a stake in its success.

At the conclusion of the summit, there was unanimous support for an infrastructure bill that invests in “physical assets, broadband, and energy technologies to position America to create good jobs and out-innovate our competitors around the globe in the 21st century.”

When the Biden plan is narrowed to fit this more targeted scope, the price tag comes to a midpoint between the Democratic and Republican proposals.

Of course, that still doesn’t resolve how to pay for it. But, even on this sticking point, there are common-sense solutions that have wide support in both parties.

In Maryland, instead of raising taxes, we’ve successfully leveraged public-private partnerships to finance transformative projects, including major road improvements to the Capital Beltway and building a new light rail line in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Right now, there are trillions of dollars sitting on the sidelines that private-sector leaders are anxious to invest in infrastructure projects. We don’t have to choose between doing nothing and passing massive tax hikes that would make America less competitive. Public-private partnerships have support from Republican and Democratic governors and have been endorsed by the House Problem Solvers Caucus — the largest bipartisan bloc in Congress.

The reality is that none of America’s greatest challenges can be solved by one party or one level of government alone. The greatest barrier to a bipartisan infrastructure bill isn’t disagreements on policy. There is no such thing as a Republican bridge or a Democratic tunnel.   

The greatest barrier is mistrust. After years of escalating partisanship, too few trust the other side of the aisle to deal in good faith. And Americans are stuck paying the price in tires destroyed by potholes, hours lost due to delayed trains, and kids struggling to do their homework with inadequate broadband.  

If we are going to meet the needs of the 21st century, then we have to break down the walls of mistrust that are at the root of Washington’s dysfunction. And if we can’t begin to do that on infrastructure — an issue where both parties agree more than they disagree — then it’s hard to imagine where it can ever be accomplished.  

In Maryland, we’ve already shown a better path. While Washington has been playing to the ideological extremes, I’ve found common ground with my overwhelmingly Democratic legislature, including passing the largest tax cut in state history to provide relief for struggling families and small businesses with near unanimous support, rebuilding roads, bridges, tunnels and transit, expanding broadband and investing in the grid, green energy and resiliency.

The question is not whether there is common ground to be found. The question is whether there still exists the will and the political courage to achieve it. Forging a bipartisan compromise on these issues will not be easy, but it can and it must be done. 

Larry Hogan is the Republican governor of Maryland.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/op-ed-a-commonsense-compromise-on-infrastructure-bill-.html