| Biden announces a $2 trillion infrastructure proposal; Chinese electoral reforms further threaten democracy in Hong Kong. Tonight's Sentences was written by Greg Svirnovskiy. | | | | | | | Biden introduces the American Jobs Plan | | | | | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | | - At a carpenters training center in Pittsburgh, President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled a $2 trillion infrastructure package, dubbed the American Jobs Plan, aimed at catalyzing America's economic recovery and path to clean energy, to be paid for by long-term tax increases on domestic and multinational corporations. [USA Today / Joey Garrison]
- The site of the announcement was significant. Pittsburgh, the city where Biden announced his presidential bid back in 2019, is known for its history as a steel town but is now pitching itself as a hub for green energy and research. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette / Daniel Moore]
- Biden's infrastructure proposal represents a general rethinking of the federal government's role in providing for Americans and takes an expansive view of what "infrastructure" includes. His New Deal-esque policy is a stark shift from the relatively small governments that have characterized the past four decades. If passed, the package over the next eight years will pour $621 billion into transportation infrastructure projects like roads, public transit, bridges, and airports, while also earmarking $580 billion for manufacturing and job training efforts, among other areas. [Vox / Ella Nilsen]
- With 50 Democrats in the Senate, Biden would either need the support of at least 10 GOP senators to avoid a filibuster and pass his plan (which he is unlikely to get) or would have to use an arcane legislative process called budget reconciliation, which could turn the proposal into law via a simple majority (an option Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is exploring). [CBS News / Grace Segers]
- Speaking from the Senate floor on March 22, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell foreshadowed likely GOP rebuttals to Democrats' plans for infrastructure spending, saying that "the next few months might bring a so-called 'infrastructure' proposal that may actually be a Trojan horse for massive tax hikes and other job-killing left-wing policies." [Washington Post / Jeff Stein and Tyler Pager]
| | | Chinese electoral reforms draw Hong Kong closer under Beijing's thumb | | - China's top legislative body approved sweeping changes to Hong Kong's electoral codes, limiting those who may serve in Hong Kong's Parliament to state-vetted "patriots" and decreasing the public's influence in shaping the legislature. [BBC]
- Following the June 2020 imposition of a national security law that effectively criminalized public dissent, these electoral reforms are seen by many as Beijing's next logical step toward increasing its control over a region that's lived in semi-autonomy since 1997. [Reuters / Yew Lun Tian and Clare Jim]
- The changes increase the number of seats in Hong Kong's Parliament from 70 to 90, while simultaneously decreasing the share the public could directly elect from 35 to 20. The remaining 70 will be chosen by city interest groups and an election committee with strong ties to Beijing. [AP / Zen Soo and Ken Moritsugu]
- Even legislators elected by the people will need to be approved by the election committee, which was until the passing of this bill effectively responsible only for choosing Hong Kong's chief executive (currently Carrie Lam). [CNN / James Griffiths]
- Speaking before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 10, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would "follow through on sanctions" against Chinese officials subverting democracy in Hong Kong. [Axios / Rebecca Falconer]
| | | | | | | Two US Capitol Police officers are suing former President Trump, alleging he is at fault for the injuries they suffered during the January 6 Capitol insurrection. | | | [Politico / Kyle Cheney] - Facing sagging popularity and increased calls for impeachment by national legislators as Brazil continues to grapple with the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday announced the replacement of his army, navy, and air force commanders. [NPR / Laurel Wamsley]
- Hours after it was reported that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was weighing retirement from the House of Representatives in favor of a job at the right-wing media outlet Newsmax, news broke that he is under investigation by the Justice Department over possible sex trafficking offenses. [New York Times]
- The Final Four of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is set. Baylor, Houston, UCLA, and Gonzaga will square off next weekend for the right to be the first team to cut down the March Madness nets since UVA did it in 2019. [WSJ / Laine Higgins]
- G. Gordon Liddy, age 90, known for his role in the Watergate break-in, died yesterday at his daughter's home in Fairfax County, Virginia. [The Hill / Celine Castronuovo]
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