President Joe Biden will push the case for his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan in the reliably Republican state of Louisiana — directly challenging GOP lawmakers who say that low taxes for corporations and the wealthy will fuel economic growth.
Biden is leaning into the stagecraft of the presidency on Thursday by choosing to speak in the city of Lake Charles in front of a 70-year-old bridge that is 20 years past its designed lifespan.
Even as he engages with Republicans in Washington, Biden is trying to sell their voters on the idea that higher corporate taxes can provide $115 billion for roads and bridges and hundreds of billions of dollars more to upgrade the electrical grid, make the water system safer, rebuild homes and jump-start the manufacturing of electric vehicles.
A White House official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the speech ahead of delivery, said Biden would pose a basic question to voters about whether tax cuts for big companies and CEOs will make the country stronger than programs designed to bolster the middle class.
Biden hinted at the theme when answering questions from reporters after a Wednesday speech at the White House that also emphasized his separate $1.8 trillion plan for education and children to be funded by higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
“What’s going to grow America more?” Biden said. “What’s going to help you and your security more? The super wealthy having to pay 3.9% less tax or having an entire generation of Americans having associate degrees?”
Biden then began to whisper: “Guess what. It grows the economy. Benefits everybody. Hurts nobody.”
Republican lawmakers have doubled down on low taxes as a core pillar of their ideology and partisan identity. Several GOP senators favor spending $568 billion on infrastructure over five years, a small fraction of what the Democratic president has proposed — a sign of how difficult a deal might be.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said that Republicans would rather finance infrastructure through user fees such as tolls and gasoline taxes, though he declined to specify which fees he would back.
“We’re open to doing a roughly $600 billion package, which deals with what all of us agree is infrastructure and to talk about how to pay for that in any way other than reopening the 2017 tax reform bill,” McConnell said Monday at the University of Louisville.
The Biden administration is banking that its message could play in Louisiana, which last backed a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996. Louisiana has been barraged by 30 extreme weather events over the past decade that caused $50 billion worth of damage. Biden is seeking $50 billion to make infrastructure better able to withstand storms, winds and flooding.
Hurricanes battered Lake Charles, a city of 78,000 residents, twice last year over the course of six weeks. Biden also plans to tour a water plant in New Orleans.
His infrastructure package received support in a newspaper editorial last week by Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter, a Republican, and Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins, a Democrat.
“The unfortunate truth is that our aging infrastructure and local government budgets cannot withstand the strain of increasingly frequent storms,” they wrote. “As mayors of great American cities in the South, we lie awake at night dreading each forecasted storm.”
There is general agreement among Democrats and Republicans in Washington about the need for infrastructure spending. But there are two significant hurdles for Biden's proposal to garner Republican backing.
First, Republican lawmakers would prefer a narrower definition of infrastructure that is concentrated on roads, bridges, airports, transit and broadband rather than renewable energy and access to caregivers. Second, they object to Biden's proposal to pay for his plan by undoing the 2017 tax cuts signed into law by President Donald Trump. Biden is seeking to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of a dream send-off were left in tatters after a 2-0 loss at Everton dealt a major blow to Liverpool’s Premier League title bid on Wednesday.
Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park meant Klopp tasted a bitter defeat in his last Merseyside derby before standing down at the end of the season.
“I can only apologize for today to the people. We should have done better and we didn’t and that’s why we lost,” Klopp said.
The loss keeps Liverpool three points behind league leader Arsenal in second place and one ahead of defending champion Manchester City, which is in third and has two games in hand on both of its rivals.
Klopp had spoken last week of needing perfection to win his second title at the club. But this was the latest setback for his team, which has lost two of its last three games in the league.
While the result hurt Liverpool’s title chances, it delivered a boost to Everton’s survival bid, with the win moving Sean Dyche’s team eight points above the relegation zone.
That fact seemed to be of less concern to the home fans, who were too busy reveling in the damage caused to Liverpool’s season.
“You lost the league at Goodison Park,” they chanted as the final whistle approached and the majority of the 39,000 crowd remained inside the stadium to drink in the atmosphere as the players celebrated on the field.
“I’m very disappointed. We let it happen exactly the game that Everton wanted,” Klopp said.
Klopp had dominated this fixture since taking over at Anfield in 2015, winning nine of the past 16 derbies before Wednesday’s match.
It was a different story on what could be his last visit to Goodison Park as an opposition manager as Everton produced a high-octane performance that Liverpool struggled to contain from the start.
Statistics showed Everton won 75% of all duels in the opening half hour.
After just six minutes, Liverpool was grateful for VAR as it escaped an early penalty when Alisson brought down Calvert-Lewin in the box and referee Andrew Madley pointed to the spot. The decision was overturned because of an offside in the build up.
Everton's pressure was made to count when it took the lead in in the 27th. Liverpool’s defenders repeatedly failed to clear the danger from a free kick and Branthwaite’s shot squirmed through the hands of Alisson and off the post before crossing the line.
Again there was an agonizing wait for a VAR check, but on this occasion there was no reprieve for Liverpool.
Luis Diaz had the chance to level before the break, but was denied by the legs of Jordan Pickford from close range.
Liverpool came out with more intent for the second half without forcing Pickford into serious action before conceding a second goal.
Again the visitors failed to deal with a set piece when Dwight McNeil swung a deep corner to the far post and Calvert-Lewin rose unmarked to head home.
Liverpool came close to pulling one back in the 69th, but Diaz’s effort came back off the post.
Manchester City plays Brighton on Thursday.
UNITED SCARE
Manchester United survived another scare — twice coming from behind to beat last-place Sheffield United 4-2.
Having been taken to the wire by second-tier Coventry in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday, Erik ten Hag’s team looked in danger of dropping points in its bid qualify for Europe.
Sheffield United led 1-0 and then 2-1 through goals from Jayden Bogle and Ben Brereton Diaz in each half at Old Trafford. But Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes from the penalty spot leveled on each occasion.
Fernandes put United ahead in the 81st and and Rasmus Hojlund sealed the points four minutes later.
United is up to sixth in the standings, 13 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa.
PALACE SAFE
Crystal Palace ensured top flight safety after Jean-Philippe Mateta struck twice in a 2-0 win against Newcastle.
Palace is on 39 points — 14 clear of 18th-place Luton, which can only pick up a maximum of 37 if it wins its last four games of the season.
It was Palace’s third-straight win to erase fears of being relegated. Defeat saw Newcastle drop to seventh.
Bournemouth beat Wolves 1-0 at Molineux through Antoine Semenyo’s first-half strike.
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola,front, applauds after the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth in Wolverhampton, England, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. ( Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
Bournemouth's Alex Scott, left, and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Max Kilman vie for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Molineux in Wolverhampton, England,. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace's Jordan Ayew, centre, vies for the ball with Newcastle United's Elliot Anderson, left and Dan Burn , during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, at Selhurst Park, London, Wednesday April 24, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, left and Newcastle United's Emil Krafth vie for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, at Selhurst Park, London, Wednesday April 24, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford celebrates following the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes scores his side's second goal by penalty during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Sheffield at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Sheffield at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Sheffield at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp, right, congratulates Everton's head coach Sean Dyche after the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Everton won 2-1. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp yells during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, left, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrate after Branthwaite scored their first goal of the game during a Premier League soccer match against Liverpool, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Goodison Park in Liverpool. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah standing on the pitch during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, Britain, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
