Infrastructure special report: $1 trillion up for grabs

It's one of the most popular pieces of legislation in Washington despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that it does not exist.

President Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure proposal piqued the interest of opponents and allies alike last month during his joint address to Congress, just as it did following his election win in November. But it's been more than four months since Trump won the presidency and more than two months since he took the oath of office, and despite the potential popularity of an infrastructure bill, no one seems to know what the White House plans to do.

Analysts, lobbyists and congressional aides told the Washington Examiner that any massive infrastructure bill won't happen right away. While the defeat of the GOP's healthcare bill on Friday could allow the infrastructure package to be developed sooner than previously thought, it's widely believed that tax reform is next up on the docket for Trump and Congress. Infrastructure, meanwhile, is considered a possible olive branch between warring faction in Congress, but as of yet no specifics have been developed.

That means a major package involving infrastructure spending might — might — be on the docket by September. But, fights in other areas could end up pushing it into 2018, where it may become wrapped up in election-year politics.

"Generally speaking, what [House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill] Shuster has talked about ... timing recently is most likely you'll start to see something maybe this summer or into the fall," said a House aide. "His hope is to act later this year.