On Thursday, U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) led a bipartisan effort asking Congressional Leaders to work with colleagues across the aisle to advance a consensus-driven infrastructure package.
The effort comes just one week after a bipartisan meeting between Congress members and President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
In a letter to Congressional Leaders, the group highlighted the need for substantive bipartisan discussions and compromise to achieve flexible and dependable federal funding for infrastructure projects, support project completion, and increase the resiliency of existing infrastructure.
“Simply put, our constituents are counting on us to deliver substantive investments to our highways, roads and bridges, transit systems and railways, ports and airports, water and sewer systems, energy systems and power grid, and broadband and communications networks,” the group wrote. “Absent substantive federal action, disrepair, and congestion will continue to replace safety and innovation as the defining characteristics of American infrastructure.”
The group said that policy and infrastructure legislation developed along party lines has, in the past, failed to be passed.
“Our hope is that Congress and the Biden administration can work together to bring a comprehensive infrastructure package to the floor later this year,” the group wrote. “In working together on these critical issues, we have a significant opportunity to improve the lives of millions of Americans, ensure the ability of our businesses to compete on the global stage, and strengthen the foundation of our economy for years to come.”