President Joe Biden unveiled the $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan this week that will provide funds for transportation upgrades, investments in electric vehicles and charging stations, as well as investments into research, development, and manufacturing among other items. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is backing the plan, describing it as bold and necessary.
“We need to get it moving and we need to get it going because it truly will be a stimulus to our economy. Getting it out the door means it’s that much sooner that we can fix our roads and our rails and our bridges and getting the money flowing into local economies so that we can actually spur and then generate revenue growth by having people more actively involved in all of these projects,” she told Cheddar.
The lack of broadband access for a swath of America’s population is a major concern for the senator who said Biden’s infrastructure plan could immediately address that issue.
Tax Hike for Corporations
President Donald Trump's administration offered tax cuts to major corporations, but Duckworth says it's time to reclaim some of those funds to strengthen U.S. infrastructure.
“I think that folks who make more than $4 million a year, or corporations like General Electric that paid no taxes, can afford to pay a little bit so that we can get broadband to communities that don’t have broadband right now,” she added.
Duckworth also said the country’s water systems need attention; upgrading piping systems that directly serve American homes will actually save people money in the long run.
“In parts of the country, only 25 percent of the water that’s processed actually ever comes out of the tap, yet taxpayers are paying for 100 percent of that water to be processed, so there’s a lot of cost savings that can actually happen," she said. "And, I think water infrastructure is a significant priority that has to be addressed right away.”
Federal Government Needs More Representation
Though Duckworth had high praise for the infrastructure plan, she has been critical of the Biden administration for the lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the federal government. As a result, she said she has been in close, regular contact with the administration on issues related to diversity.
“The first thing that they committed to was putting a senior staffer in the West Wing that would have the ability to actually shepherd through fully-qualified nominees of AAPI descent for many of these highest levels of federal government service. I think that is critically important,” she said.
Duckworth said fair representation is the only way a government of and for the people can truly reflect its citizens.
The decorated veteran, elected lawmaker, and now published author also recently released her memoir titled Every Day Is a Gift.
In the book, she discusses obstacles she has faced such as overcoming hunger in her early years and being shot out of the sky, and losing her legs during the Iraq War. America, she says, never gave up on her, a message she wants to impress on people.
“Even after the insurrection on January 6, I firmly believe this country is a shining light and our democracy is worth fighting for,” Duckworth added.
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
