Construction advocates back White House infrastructure proposal
Published on 09/20/2010
President Barack Obama introduced a plan to invest $50 billion in the nation's roads, railways, and airports to the public on Labor Day weekend, and it has received wide applause from the construction industry. The President said the proposal would facilitate economic growth.
"The President clearly appreciates that the infrastructure?focused portions of the stimulus were effective in boosting employment and helping rebuild America's aging infrastructure," said Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
The AGC, which has been lobbying for additional federal investment in the nation's infrastructure since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), is also pressing for a new six-year transportation bill. Lawmakers have extended until December 30, 2010 SAFETEA-LU, the legislation that authorized and provided long-term funding for surface transportation and was scheduled to expire at the end of September 2009.
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has also expressed its support for the President.
"On behalf of over 5,000 members of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, we commend the President for his focus on infrastructure investment," said ARTBA President & CEO Pete Ruane. "He has correctly noted, as our members would attest, that infrastructure investment creates jobs, improves our global competitiveness and fuels economic growth."
The White House has only outlined its plan. The $50 billion would be an initial investment to be coupled with the establishment of an infrastructure bank and a long-term infrastructure investment plan, leading some observers to speculate that a follow-up to SAFETEA-LU is in the works.
The Obama Administration has yet to reveal how it intends to pay for the injection of federal dollars, though generating the required revenues by closing tax loopholes on gas and oil companies has been suggested.
Republicans, however, have warned that the President's past spending ? namely the ARRA - has failed to stabilize the nation's economy.
"If we've learned anything from the past 18 months, it's that we can't spend our way to prosperity," Boehner said. "We don't need more government 'stimulus' spending - we need to end Washington Democrats' out-of-control spending spree, stop their tax hikes, and create jobs by eliminating the job-killing uncertainty that is hampering our small businesses."
