Trump team meets with senators to discuss infrastructure priorities

Trump administration officials and a bipartisan group of senators yesterday held talks about the $1 trillion infrastructure package that the president is expected to propose in the coming weeks.

Although few details were released, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wy.) called the meeting a "great opportunity to discuss the Trump administration's plans for upgrading America's aging highways, bridges, ports and dams."

"The meeting gave senators the chance to have a direct back-and-forth with administration leadership on their priorities," Barrasso said in a statement. Barrasso chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee.

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the EPW Committee, said he appreciated the time that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and White House officials spent with the group.

"While there is no shortage of issues on which the president and I disagree, the kind of large scale trillion-dollar infrastructure investment that then-candidate Trump talked about is something that has the potential to elicit bipartisan support here in Congress," Carper said in a statement.

The Trump administration could release the proposal after the president's State of the Union address on Jan. 30, The Hill reported, citing a Democratic aide.

Last week, a group of more than 150 national trade organizations urged Congress to advance an infrastructure investment package. The group included the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association.