Pelosi pledges swift work on major infrastructure package

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday pledged swift work by Congress on a job and infrastructure package that will be “fiscally sound,” but said she isn’t sure whether the next major item on President Joe Biden’s agenda will attract

Republican backing.

Fresh off a major legislative victory on the $1.9 trillion virus relief package that passed on near-party lines, Democrats face long and tough battles ahead in winning GOP endorsement of the administration’s plans.

Road- and bridge-building legislation has a long history of support from both parties as lawmakers aim to deliver on projects back home. But Republicans disagree with Biden’s focus on the environment and the possibility of financing any program with debt after the government borrowed heavily to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Building roads and bridges and water supply systems and the rest has always been bipartisan, always been bipartisan, except when they oppose it with a Democratic president, as they did under President Obama, and we had to shrink the package,” said Pelosi, D-Calif. “But, nonetheless, hopefully, we will have bipartisanship.”

Pelosi has directed key Democratic lawmakers to begin working with Republicans on a “big, bold and transformational infrastructure package.”

During the presidential campaign, Biden laid the groundwork by proposing $2 trillion in “accelerated” investments to shift to cleaner energy, build half a million charging stations for electric vehicles, support public transit and repair roads and bridges. The plan emphasizes the importance of creating unionized jobs and addressing climate change.

The White House originally planned to come out with a plan in February, but more recently hasn’t committed to a timeline. A rollout is likely to slide into April as the administration embarks on a nationwide push over the coming weeks to sell Americans on the benefits of the COVID-19 relief bill.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Rep. Peter DeFazio, DOre., chairman of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, hope to pass a bill out of their committees in May.

The package could include policy changes — on green energy and immigration — and even try to make permanent some of the just-passed COVID-19 assistance such as child tax credits.

“It is going to be green and it is going to be big,” DeFazio told The Associated Press.

Democrats used a fasttrack budget process known as reconciliation to approve Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan without Republican support, a strategy that succeeded despite the reservations of some moderates.

But work on passing infrastructure legislation in a Senate split 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris providing a tiebreaking vote will probably prove more difficult. Moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., recently made clear he will block infrastructure legislation if Republicans aren’t included.

On Sunday, Pelosi declined to say whether tax increases would be required for the House legislation, stressing that Congress would explore all options, including generating revenue with something similar to the Obama administration’s Build America bonds.

Cost will be a major hurdle in passing an infrastructure plan. There’s little political interest in increasing the 18.3-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax, which generates revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, even though the rate has not increased since 1993.

Myanmar’s junta declared “full martial law” late Sunday in parts of the commercial capital Yangon after clashes between soldiers and protesters ended in more deaths.

At least four people were shot dead during protests Sunday, as security forces continued their violent crackdown against dissent following last month’s military coup.

Two of the victims were killed in Yangon, the country’s largest city. One of them was shot in the head and another was shot in the abdomen, according to local media covering the demonstrations in Hlaing Thar Yar Township.

Coup leaders imposed martial law after the Chinese embassy asked authorities to protect Chinese-owned businesses and to guarantee the safety of its investments and citizens. Several Chineseowned factories in Yangon were burned during clashes this weekend.

The martial law order applies to the Hlaing Thar Yar and Shwe Pyi Thar townships. Power was transferred to the head of the Yangon command, who is allowed to exercise military operations “to endure safety, the rule of law and peace more effectively,” the order said.

Nationwide protests against the military coup on Feb. 1 have been growing — as has the death toll as soldiers continue to crack down on the prodemocracy demonstrators.

At least seven people were confirmed dead on Saturday, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office, bringing its tally since the coup started to 88. Local media outlets reported that more than 50 protesters were killed in Yangon during crackdowns on Sunday, mostly in the townships, though the figures could not be immediately corroborated.

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, a group of international experts consisting of former U.N. officials, said it has “grave concerns that a major military crackdown may be imminent, with fatal consequences.” The group called for “immediate international political intervention.”

“So far, the international response to the attempted coup has been weak,” the council said. “It is sending a dangerous message that the generals will continue to suffer no meaningful repercussions for their violent attacks on the Myanmar people.”

Military-run broadcaster Myawady announced that more than 2,000 protesters blocked the roads to prevent firefighters from putting out fires at several factories in Shwe Lin Ban and Shwe Pyi Thar industrial zones. Those included Chinese businesses.

“We urge Myanmar authorities to impose effective measures to end all acts of violence and to investigate and punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law,” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement on late Sunday.

Soldiers and riot police have forced striking public servants and employees in some sectors to return to work as the civil disobedience movement threatens a collapse in services . The junta asked all banks to reopen Monday, and said actions would be taken if lenders do not obey.