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DeLauro Unveils Vision for the Future on Infrastructure

January 30, 2018

DeLauro Unveils Vision for the Future on Infrastructure

Leads Letter Calling for a National Infrastructure Development Bank

WASHINGTON, DC (January 30, 2018) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement upon release of her "Vision for the Future on Infrastructure," a set of core principles to help guide federal infrastructure investment proposals.

"The United States has the opportunity to improve the lives of its citizens and create millions of jobs by making the robust, public investments in our infrastructure. There are examples all around the country of infrastructure that is crumbling and needs to be rebuilt, whether it is our highways, bridges, transit, airports, high-speed rail, waterways, ports, public schools or harbors. We also need serious investment in drinking water and wastewater systems, as well as energy and telecommunication projects. By broadening the scope of investments, we can address every facet of Americans' lives."

"In order to address our infrastructure problem in a comprehensive way, we need robust public investment, not privatization alone. Any proposal that would privatize our system or push responsibility on to the states—as President Trump is expected to propose—will fall short of what is needed to improve the lives of the American people and spur economic growth."

"In addition to robust public investment, we should create a National Infrastructure Development Bank, to leverage public and private dollars for infrastructure projects of national or regional significance, as I have called for since 1994. We also need to ensure that contracts for these projects include worker protections like strong wage requirements, so that we create good-paying jobs and do not displace current workers. By following these core principles, Congress can address the tremendous shortfall in infrastructure investment, create jobs, spur long-term economic growth, and improve our competitiveness across the globe."

DeLauro also led a letter today with 75 House Democratic colleagues to President Trump, urging him to include a National Infrastructure Development Bank in his forthcoming infrastructure proposal. DeLauro's "Vision for the Future on Infrastructure" can be found here.