"We
urge you to call on your congressional allies to halt
discussions on a budget reconciliation bill that aims to reshape
the social fabric of this country and instead work on real
infrastructure solutions that focus on moving goods and people
safely and efficiently," said the letter signed by lawmakers
including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Representative
Sam Graves, the ranking member on the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee and others.
The White House did not immediately comment.
Democrats in Congress and the White House are negotiating over
the scope of an economic revival package, a multitrillion-dollar,
two-bill legislative package that expands social safety net
programs and infrastructure spending.
Biden brought together powerbrokers from ports, unions and big
business on Wednesday to address shipping, labor and warehousing
pain in the U.S. supply chain, and announced new
around-the-clock port operations in Los Angeles.
"This is an across-the-board commitment to going to 24/7," said
Biden, a Democrat. The port opening, and a promise from
retailers like Target and Walmart to move more goods at night
are a "big first step," he said. Now, he said, "we need the rest
of the private sector chain to step us as well."
Americans, already by far the world's biggest consumers, have
been buying a lot more goods during the pandemic, much of it
imported. Coupled with labor shortages, equipment shortages and
a lack of storage space, bottlenecks and delays have built up.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)
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