Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday shot down the notion the government was to blame for a decline in U.S. economic output during the first quarter, following remarks by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to the contrary, and instead pivoted to the importance of infrastructure spending and its impact on the economy at his weekly news conference. “How can this country allow 64,000 bridges to go un-repaired? They’re structurally deficient,” Reid said. “… These are jobs — this would improve the economy so significantly. … The next five weeks we’re going to find out how vitally important it is that we do a surface transportation bill. … We’re not going to agree to the 32nd or 33rd short-term extension of the highway bill. We’re not going to do it anymore. We’re through with that.”