The American Public Transportation Association (APTA)applauded Democrat leaders and President Donald Trump for recognizing the importance of investing in America’s infrastructure.
Calling it a step in “fueling the nation’s economic recovery,” APTA said it commended House leaders and Trump for beginning the conversation on infrastructure.
“Increased investment in infrastructure creates jobs and strengthens local economies, and that is exactly what America needs right now,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said. “As the nation moves forward and works to address the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, renewed investment in public transportation infrastructure will provide a solid economic foundation for recovery.”
The organization, which represents more than 1,500 public and private sector organizations, said they supported the introduction of legislation to repair, maintain, and improve public transportation and the passenger rail systems.
APTA has emphatically urged lawmakers that now is the time to invest more in our nation’s public transportation infrastructure to help our communities provide critical public transit services and economic opportunities.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) announced they planned to support a Phase 4 bill focusing on infrastructure as part of a post-pandemic response to boosting the nation’s economy.
Pelosi said the bill would build off a bill House Democrats proposed in January. The proposal calls for $489 billion over five years in surface transportation, including $105 billion for public transit and $55 billion for passenger rail.
“We have never, ever gone down a path that involves this much investment for the future, involving this many people in our country, and again now at this time, we’re having a further health urgency, an immediate urgency,” Ms. Pelosi said in a telephone press conference. “We’ve had overtures from the administration on how we would go forward, and we’ll be working to get that done.”
Trump endorsed, via Twitter, the idea of including infrastructure investment as part of the country’s federal coronavirus response.
“With interest rates for the United States being at ZERO, this is the time to do our decades long awaited Infrastructure Bill.” Trump tweeted on Tuesday. It should be VERY BIG & BOLD, Two Trillion Dollars, and be focused solely on jobs and rebuilding the once great infrastructure of our Country! Phase 4”
DeFazio said he agreed with the president as well.
“But let’s talk a little bit about recovery. I was pleased to see the President has come back to where we started almost a year ago, now. Which is, he wants a big package on investment in infrastructure to recover the economy. Actually, he’s right. For once, I agree with him on a step he wants to take,” DeFazio said during a press conference. “Unfortunately, I saw press this morning that Mitch McConnell and Leader McCarthy don’t want a fourth package, and don’t want to look at a recovery package. This is investment. This is capital. We can justify this more than tax cuts, we can justify this even more than some of the mitigation we did in the CARES package.
DeFazio said the infrastructure investment would create thousands of jobs.
“This is rebuilding America and preparing us for the 21st Century in so many ways. We want to put people first, workers first, and nothing does that more than the investments we’re talking about here,” he said. “We have the strongest Buy America requirements of any sector of the Federal government, in transportation infrastructure. Way stronger than the Pentagon even, dealing with national defense. So, the multiplier effect is extraordinary.”
APTA said it has previously proposed a $178 billion investment over the next six years into public transit and passenger rail. The organization estimates that it will create a 5 to 1 return on investment worth more than $890 billion in economic activity.
“Americans know that investing in our public transportation infrastructure will lead to benefits that repay the investment multiple times over, as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and builds for the future,” the group said in a release. “APTA’s surface transportation reauthorization priorities focus on maintaining and expanding our public transportation network, and represent a commitment to growing jobs, supporting our communities, and providing expanded mobility options.”