Yes: Funding infrastructure is critical to grow our economy, create jobs.
Even as our infrastructure continues to crumble and unemployment remains above nine percent, stubborn obstructionism on the part of congressional Republicans has prevented us from addressing our infrastructure and jobs crises.
Our problems are entirely solvable. In fact, these challenges have a common solution: Put Americans back to work rebuilding our bridges, roads, railroads, airports and energy infrastructure. It’s common sense, not rocket science.
Astonishingly, the same crowd that brought America to the brink of financial default for no good reason earlier this summer wants to keep playing politics with the economy — this time jeopardizing our nation’s critical infrastructure.
Some Republicans in Congress are threatening to hold hostage our highway bill, which funds infrastructure investment with an 18.4 cent-per-gallon gas tax.
Unless Congress renews the highway bill by Sept. 30, a million workers will be in danger of losing their jobs over the next year.
In Georgia, the highway bill provides more than $97 million a month for infrastructure jobs — or about $1.2 billion a year that employs thousands of Georgians while ensuring we get to work and back to our families safely and quickly. In fact, the highway bill already supports more than 4,100 transportation projects in our state alone, employing more than 22,500 Georgians.
The AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce — two groups that don’t always see eye to eye — and 128 mayors from both political parties agree that it’s critically important for our economy that Congress act now to extend the highway bill.
In an Aug. 30 letter to me, Georgia Department of Transportation did not mince words. It highlighted “the critical importance of extending both the federal highway user fees that support the Highway Trust Fund and the surface transportation program,” which “is needed to keep employees on the job.”
Any delay, they said, “could seriously disrupt our highway and transit programs.”
Cutting funding for infrastructure is no way to grow our economy or create jobs. Republicans who threaten the highway bill are way off base. Short-sighted pandering to their tea party political activists may be easy, but it is deeply irresponsible.
Instead of threatening to slash federal infrastructure spending, we should be making bold, forward-looking investments in America’s future.
President Barack Obama is right on the money when he calls upon Congress to aggressively invest in America’s infrastructure. It’s a common-sense vision backed by both business and labor because it’s the right policy at the right time.
The president has presented a vision; now it’s up to Congress to act. Will we do nothing or will we renew the highway bill and make further necessary investments in America’s infrastructure?
Over the past year, our nation’s infrastructure has fallen from 15th to 24th in the world as ranked by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.
We’re falling behind while up-and-coming economic superpowers such as China, India and Brazil dedicate tremendous resources to cutting-edge energy and transportation infrastructure.
Renewing the highway bill should be a given. This year, it’s in jeopardy. The clock is running out.
America’s present and future prosperity hang in the balance. Call us in Washington and remind us to do the right thing.
Congressman Hank Johnson, D-Ga., represents the 4th district.
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