Democrats push for green infrastructure provisions in next coronavirus package

Democrats are pushing for the next coronavirus package to include a litany of green infrastructure provisions in defiance of past GOP rebukes of mixing such measures with efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the package will include a "substantial investment" in high-speed rail, while aiming to shift the national highway system toward electrification, for cars and trucks alike. It also includes provisions to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete, by altering the mix, and that of asphalt, by recycling existing materials. "The materials that we use can be way greener," he said. "We can reduce that footprint by half, with new materials that have been developed, we can actually go to carbon-negative concrete. ... So this can be a very green bill." DeFazio dismissed the objections of Republican leaders, who had hammered House Democrats' previously proposed $2.5 trillion relief package as a liberal wish list full of provisions unrelated to the coronavirus crisis. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said there are also provisions under his panel's jurisdiction to help states become more energy efficient, grant incentives for residents to weatherize their homes and provide funding to create a national network of electric vehicle charging stations...MORE