The US Democrats have apparently agreed with President Donald Trump to launch a billion-dollar infrastructure package. The topic of infrastructure is crucial for the future of the US, said the leader of the Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer, after a meeting with Trump.
The president has agreed to create a $ 2 trillion ($ 1.8 trillion) package of laws. Both sides therefore want to meet again in three weeks to talk about financing.
Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders described the meeting as "outstanding and productive," but initially did not comment on details. The upcoming talks should be about concrete proposals, she said.
The agreement goes beyond the Trump infrastructure plan. He had announced investments of $ 1.5 trillion (about 1222 billion euros). However, according to Trump's plan, the US government itself was to contribute only 200 billion, and the missing sum was to be raised by states, municipalities and the private sector.
The US infrastructure is in very poor condition in many places. Experts warn long before the risks, but a determined response remains for years. If Trump and his Republicans actually agree with the Democrats on a package, that would be a rare compromise between the two parties, which are deeply divided in many areas.
Upgrading the US infrastructure was one of Trump's key promises in the election campaign. For the implementation, however, he depends on the approval of the Democrats, they have been the majority in the House of Representatives since the beginning of the year.