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Trump Touts Infrastructure Plan: After Trillions Spent Overseas, 'It's Time to Rebuild Our Country'

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan took center stage at a meeting with members of Congress Wednesday. 

"After spending $ 7 trillion in the Middle East, it's ridiculous," said Trump. 

The president is upset that so much money is spent overseas while America's roads, rivers and railways took a backseat. 

"After spending trillions of dollars overseas rebuilding other countries, it is time to build our country," said Trump. 

The president's plan centers on using $200 billion in federal money and relies heavily on state and local governments to produce much of the funding. Trump noted that his plan gives states "more power" to "choose the projects" eligible for federal funds. 

He added that his proposal will result in faster permits, cutting the wait time from 10 years to two years. It also invests $50 billion for rural infrastructure, which includes establishing broadband internet access for those areas. 

Critics called the commander in chief's plan a disaster, requesting instead more federal dollars be funded by closing tax loopholes or tax increases. 

"It fails to offer the investment needed to bring our country into the 21st century," said Shelley Potiphar of the Natural Resources Council. "Even worse, his plan includes an unacceptable corporate giveaway by truncating environmental reviews."

Wednesday's meeting included lawmakers from both sides of the aisle with hopes to gain bipartisan support for the infrastructure initiative. 
 

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About The Author

Ben
Kennedy

Ben Kennedy is an Emmy Award-winning White House correspondent for CBN News in Washington, D.C. He has more than a decade of reporting experience covering breaking news nationwide. He's traveled cross country covering the President and scored exclusive interviews with lawmakers and White House officials. Kennedy spent seven years reporting for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami, Florida. While there he reported live from Kingston, Jamaica, as Hurricane Matthew hit the island. He was the first journalist to interview Diana Nyad moments after her historic swim from Cuba to Key West. He reported