Ben Nuelle

Republicans have so far focused their attacks on President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package on the scope of things it would fund – like home health care – that aren’t traditionally thought of as infrastructure. But Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is also drawing attention to the $174 billion the president wants to spend to shift Americans into electric vehicles.

President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan is vague about a lot of details, including how $17 billion for waterways would be spent. But Tracy Zea of the Waterways Council tells Agri-Pulse that he expects at least $3 billion to be available for inland waterway projects. That could pay for replacing two sets of aging locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River system, he said.

President Joe Biden pushed back against Republicans who are arguing his infrastructure bill has unrelated items in it. Projects related to clean water, schools and high-speed rail all qualify as infrastructure projects, he said.

The top Democrat on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is not opposed to moving President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure bill through the reconciliation budget process if Republicans don’t come to the table.

President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan offers many provisions that have long been priorities with farm groups, including a $100 billion plan to connect the entire U.S. to high-speed internet.