WASHINGTON—A long-term infrastructure funding bill is imperative for America, and supporters of the Alliance for American Manufacturing must make themselves heard on the subject, according to AAM President Scott Paul.
“Please join me in telling Congress to fully invest in long-term infrastructure and create jobs,” Paul said in an Oct. 8 news release. The release linked to a letter that AAM members and supporters could sign and submit to Congress.
The current short-term funding bill for highway and bridge projects ends Oct. 29, and all indications are that Congress will pass another stopgap bill for the 35th consecutive time, according to Paul.
“The United States is long overdue for a long-term, fully funded transportation bill,” he said. “We currently rank 16th in the world for transportation infrastructure. One in five of our roads needs major repair. One in five bridges is structurally unsound.”
Every $1 billion spent on infrastructure will create more than 21,000 jobs, and an infrastructure bill worth $114 billion annually would create 2.5 million U.S. jobs, according to Paul.
The prospect of Congress passing a long-term infrastructure bill by Oct. 29 became even less likely when House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., abruptly withdrew from the race to succeed House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. McCarthy was the presumptive favorite to succeed Boehner, and his withdrawal left House Republicans in disarray.
The AAM letter can be found here.