US President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping proposal, to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. His announcement has been met with skepticism from lawmakers, some from the president's own party, who have raised questions about cost and funding. CGTN's Sean Callebs reports.

The Trump Administration is going down a far different avenue in an effort to repair the failing bridges, roads, dams, and tunnels in the United States.

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "The framework will generate an unprecedented 1.5-1.7-trillion dollars investment in American infrastructure. We're gonna have a lot of public-private, and that way it gets done on time on budget."

In the past, --the U.S. Federal Government paid for virtually all infrastructure construction. But, Trump is proposing the U.S. pay 200-billion over ten years, - and provide incentives to get state and local governments - combined with the private sector to pay the rest. Democrats aren't buying it, saying it will make private contractors rich and saddle the U.S. with more debt.

DON BEYER DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER "How are we really going to find any more money - how much more debt do we have to put the American people in."

Appealing to his base, Trump unleashed a tweet saying.This will be a big week for infrastructure. After so stupidly spending $7-trillion in the Middle East, it is now time to start investing in our country! There is broad-based, bipartisan support to repair roads, --and other infrastructure - and Trump wants to seize the moment.

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "We always led the way for many, many years. Then a number of decades ago it slowed down and over the past 8-15 years seems to be honest -it's come to a halt."

Trump plans to jump-start his plan, by streamlining the approval process for infrastructure work. Instead of the typical five to ten years to push a measure through, -- by creating a one-agency- one decision approach, he thinks the time can be shaved down to two years. Democrats don't like the idea. They say it is code for skirting environmental regulations. Trump also wants to use cash from mineral and energy development on federal lands to pay for some of the cost.

SEAN CALLEBS WASHINGTON DC "It's a tall order -- And pushing through the legislation in a busy 2018 will be difficult for the Trump Administration. First, there is a deep congressional divide on how to pay for this. And, it's not just Democrats digging in their heels. With difficult mid-term elections this year, many Republicans say they can't support a plan that would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the national debt. Sean Callebs, CGTN Washington."