Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.) said Monday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he would like to see the United States spend $3 trillion to $4 trillion on an infrastructure plan.
"I think we need to have a robust infrastructure plan. I'm not talking a trillion dollars; I'm talking three to four trillion dollars," Crowley said.
The New York Democrat added that the huge price tag would help invest in the future.
"Really rebuild America and really invest in they future. You create these jobs that are 65, 80 thousand dollar jobs," Crowley said. "That's what I think Democrats should be talking about—simplify, don't make it too complicated. Just go right at it. We want to bring jobs back to America, five to 10 million of those kinds of jobs."
After losing the 2016 election, the Democratic Party has tried to rebrand itself to attract working-class voters with an emphasis on jobs and infrastructure. Democrats unveiled their new economic message earlier this month with the slogan, "A Better Deal: Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Wages." The new slogan was widely mocked by both conservatives and progressives.
MSNBC commentator Steve Schmidt pointed out the price tag to Crowley and argued the Democratic agenda is too costly.
"You just saw it play out in the state of California, which has a $145 billion annual state budget. Single-payer, which the Democratic legislature voted down, at $450 billion a year," Schmidt said. "Free college, free single-payer, country's $22 trillion in debt, and these issues could be as ultimately fantastical as Trump's magical wall."
Crowley ignored the cost issue and said that Democrats are moving to embrace a single-payer health care system.
"I do see a movement more towards single-payer," Crowley said. "I think the expansion through the Affordable Care Act is in essence a movement towards that. I think that's good. I mean, I think that's what Democrats are about."