Exclusive: Bernie ready to roll on roads

[Donkees]

Excerpts:

Driving the news: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Axios on Tuesday he’s consulted with the White House about how to prepare for the next round of spending, and he's ready to do it immediately via reconciliation — a process he controls as chair of the Senate Budget Committee.

“If I have anything to say about it, it will, and I think the president wants it to happen," Sanders (I-Vt.) said during an interview in the Capitol.

The next bill — infrastructure — would fundamentally refigure the economy, and similar to previous efforts, Biden will face obstacles paying for it. Sanders vowed to move on it “as soon as possible” and shot down the notion that Congress needs to space out legislation passed via reconciliation.

“We don’t have to wait a few more months … right?” the senator said, gesturing to an aide he referenced as "Mr. Reconciliation."

“We can go as quickly as possible,” the aide answered.

The other side: Republicans dismiss the infrastructure bill as cover for a "radical" climate change proposal and question how the government can afford it.

https://www.axios.com/bernie-sanders-senate-infrastructure-bill-f4bfc3b8-530d-461b-9e23-416bee31e34a.html

You may know me as Chief of Receipts. To Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, it’s now Mr. Reconciliation. And yes. We must act as quickly as possible. Americans living in economic desperation cannot afford to wait. Let’s go.

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