Trump asks Congress for bill to launch trillion-dollar infrastructure package

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President Trump calls for new program of national rebuilding

President urges Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in the infrastructure of the United States

President Trump on Tuesday called on Congress to pass legislation to pave the way for a $1 trillion public-private infrastructure project, a major move toward delivering on a campaign promise to fix the country’s aging highways and byways.

“Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our beautiful land,” Trump said in his address to a joint session of Congress. “The time has come for a new program of national rebuilding.”

The proposal -- which Trump said will create “millions of new jobs” -- has shown signs of solid, bipartisan support.

However, such a stimulus package has been put on a back burner amid first-100-day priorities on Capitol Hill and in the White House, including Cabinet appointments and dismantling ObamaCare.

“Another Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, initiated the last truly great national infrastructure program -- the building of the interstate highway system,” Trump said.

“America has spent approximately six trillion dollars in the Middle East, all this while our infrastructure at home is crumbling. With this six trillion dollars, we could have rebuilt our country -- twice. And maybe even three times if we had people who had the ability to negotiate.”

The biggest opposition on Capitol Hill to such legislation will likely come from congressional Republicans’ most conservative wing, which will raise concerns about the potential for increasing the debt and resulting tax increases.