Half of the $40 billion the plan would spend to upgrade research labs across the country would be reserved for colleges and universities that historically serve Black and other students of color. Republicans have complained that much of the bill does not fund what they call traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Thursday that Mr. Biden was open to discussing a narrower infrastructure bill with Republicans, although she said the White House has not received a proposal from them. She declined to say what provisions Mr. Biden might be willing to drop. Administration officials say concerns over racial inequality are an animating force of the infrastructure push.

Source: New York Times April 01, 2021 23:57 UTC