Both Democratic and Republican congressional leadership alike say they want infrastructure reform. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has decried our “crumbling” roads and stressed the need to “revitalize our deteriorating national infrastructure.” His opposite number, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has concurred: “I hope we can go forward with infrastructure … I think there is a lot of interest.”

But when the libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul offered up a simple plan to pay for infrastructure spending this week, both parties turned their back on the Kentucky Republican.