American infrastructure has seen brief sprints of incredible progress in the past. The transcontinental railroad. The Eisenhower interstate highway system. Now DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg says we stand on the precipice of an era-defining infrastructure boom.
Secretary Buttigieg addressed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to make the Biden administration’s case for a major infrastructure initiative. He fielded questions for over five hours. During that time, he made the case that the key to keeping the American dream alive for future generations is simple: wise infrastructure investments.
He pointed to a “trillion-dollar backlog of needed repairs,” many of which are in America’s more rural areas. He pointed to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of projects that are all set to go, but don’t have the necessary funding.
Buttigieg told the committee that not only is infrastructure investment necessary for repairs and maintenance, but also for maintaining our competitiveness on a global scale.
“We see other countries pulling ahead of us, with consequences for strategic and economic competition,” Buttigieg said. “By some measures, China spends more on infrastructure every year than the U.S. and Europe combined.”
Buttigieg also says that investing in infrastructure for the long-term means concrete benefits for American workers right now. He says that infrastructure projects will create good jobs “that are union or pay prevailing wages.”
“I believe we have – at this moment – the best chance in any of our lifetimes to make a generational investment in infrastructure that will help us meet our country’s most pressing challenges today and create a stronger future for decades to come.”
For more information, you can watch all of the hearing on “The Administration’s Priorities for Transportation Infrastructure.”
Maybe there would be enough funding for infrastructure maintenance and repair if the United States would STOP funding foreign countries. Keep OUR TAX DOLLARS at home.
Agreed and quit giving the rest out to able body people that refuse to work or find a decent job.
That will never happen. It makes too much sense.
Our tax dollars dont get spent on nothing but interest
Foreign aid is at best, a drop in the bucket. And useful to our OWN interests at that. Suggestion: Use facts to inform your opinions. It keeps you from being one of the many ignorant and misinformed.
https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/what-every-american-should-know-about-u-s-foreign-aid/
He’s not wrong about our infrastructure. If they hadn’t been pissing away/stealing the tax monies for the roads we wouldn’t have this problem.
I am a truck driver Class A. Our roads in the USA are in horrible condition. I drive team with my husband and we cannot sleep the roads are in such awful conditions. We are planning on quitting soon as it is unbearable. Please fix the highways and byways. Thank you sir.
It did happen for four years. A slight majority prefer a President with horrible policies to a President with a poor personality.
Not sure why ole buttplug would need over 5 hrs to simply say we need to raise taxes so we can spend on more bs, kick backs to our largest donors and the big guy…funny how they always need to fix infrastructure but yet nothing ever improves…. outside of what’s currently done perhaps if 4 wheelers and other similar modes of transportation had to pay all the extra road taxes big trucks pay
Let see it happen. All you guys who on a culture war or cancel culture stop the noise. Highways money should be the topic. Let’s go to work and just shut up.
The BS he is saying is just code words for raising taxes to new higher levels.
If you believe the BS some politicians tell you tell you, and that is that the US has almost the highest taxes in the world, then that would be a problem. But the US has very low taxes compared with for instance most European countries.
Europeans understand that their government can only do things for them if it is funded by taxes. You get nothing for nothing. Americans seem to think that their government has to be funded by father Christmas, so that they don’t have to pay taxes. It doesn’t work that way.
Can you say massive motor fuel and liscencing fee increase to pay for it? Confiscatorally high taxes is part and parcel to these people taking total power.
Typical political rhetoric long on words and bullshit but d 3rd void of anything specific.
Given the structure of their “covid relief” stunt they want to spend another several trillion with 5% going toward ” infrastructure” and the rest to democrat megadoners or foreign countries
The funding is only part of the problem, the contractors who do the roads charge way to much, take way to long and the roads don’t last. That’s what needs to be addressed.
How many of the project comrade buttigieg wants taxpayers across the country are on LOCAL or STATE roads and bridges where the federal government has no business? Eliminate those “special projects” and see how much there is to “invest”, buy special favors, bribe public officials or how ever you want to put it.
Before a penny is spent (wasted) on further “infrastructure improvements” I say we need a COMPLETE audit of every penny spent by ISTEA, ISTEA II, FORMER chairman obama’s “shovel ready jobs” and every other “infrastructure bill” for the last ten years and find out where ALL of that tax money went and why, with enough money allocated to completely rebuild the federal highway system, it’s in such a state. Talk about “will never happen”!!
country [to pay for] are … OOOPS!!
An administration with plans. I love it
This sounds to me just a rehash of “shovel ready jobs” his puppet master Obamy lied about. Just a $$ grab people. Hang on
Booty Dick already made history! NOW…shut Up!
This is more waste for the government quit wasting the working mans time by lifting our money.