In the wake of a failed meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic leadership to discuss infrastructure, the CEO of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is urging Congress to continue to work on a plan despite the setback.
“Sadly, it appears political theatrics won the day,” ARTBA CEO Dave Bauer said. “But, the breakdown of the talks does not change several fundamental truths about America’s transportation network. There are 235,000 U.S. bridges in need of repair or major rehabilitation. The federal Highway Trust Fund remains in a world of financial hurt. When the current law expires in October 2020, there will be an $18 billion average annual shortfall between incoming trust fund revenues and what’s needed to maintain current federal highway and transit investment levels. Absent congressional action or a new revenue stream, states could face a 40 percent cut in investment starting in 2021.”
The May 22 meeting between Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer was supposed to allow the leadership to work on a $2 trillion reconstruction plan for the nation’s infrastructure.
Bauer says that the major work on infrastructure remains, as it always has, in Congress’s hands. He urges bipartisanship to produce an effective investment package.