Van Hollen: 'No. 1 goal is to get everybody around the table' on infrastructure

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, touring the port of Baltimore on Tuesday, said he hopes President Donald J. Trump and Congress will come to an agreement on how to address $1 trillion in infrastructure needs nationwide — although no such deal appears close.

Senate Democrats proposed a "blueprint" last month for federal investment in the country's roads, bridges, ports and airports, but despite rare bipartisan support for the issue in Washington, paying for it has been a point of contention.

"My No. 1 goal is to get everybody around the table and figure out the best way forward," Van Hollen said. "I do think it's going to require a significant amount of public investment going forward. This cannot be done solely through tax breaks, which is what some people are proposing."

During the campaign and as president, Trump has repeatedly voiced his support for a $1 trillion infrastructure overhaul. His advisers have said the president's plan will be funded by tax credits and public-private partnerships, but they have provided no details on what it might look like.

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Van Hollen praised the Baltimore port — which operates under a public-private partnership between the Maryland Port Administration and Ports America Chesapeake — for being recognized for the third straight year as the most efficient in the nation. He said he wants to see the Howard Street Tunnel under Baltimore expanded and other measures taken to ensure the port can continue to grow.

"I wish the new Congress and the new administration had started out by talking about modernizing our infrastructure, something that brings people together," the senator said.

"It's a huge need for Baltimore, for Maryland and for the country, and it would've been much better to start out on a point of common ground rather than some of the division we're seeing."