Trump’s Infrastructure Plan: Modest Federal Incentives, Facing Long Odds

Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland

President Trump on Monday will propose offering $100 billion in federal incentives to encourage cities and states to invest in road, bridge and other building projects, the centerpiece of a plan to spur $1.5 trillion in infrastructure spending over the next decade without devoting significant federal money.

The proposal, to be unveiled the same day as Mr. Trump’s 2019 budget, faces long odds on Capitol Hill, where members of both parties — particularly Democrats — are skeptical of any plan that fails to create a dedicated new funding stream to address the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Lawmakers are also doubtful that such a small federal investment will be sufficient to spur an infrastructure spending boom.

The president, who plans to invite Democrats and Republicans to the White House this week to call for a sweeping bipartisan infrastructure initiative, will propose to devote a total of $200 billion in federal dollars to the program, according to senior White House officials who previewed the plan on the condition of anonymity. Half of that amount would go toward matching funds that states and cities commit to financing their own infrastructure projects.

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