A group of more than 25 governors, U.S. Senators, and leaders in the U.S. House Problem Solvers Caucus met in Annapolis, Md., on Friday to discuss ideas, initiatives, and proposals concerning federal infrastructure and public investment.
Members of both parties at all levels of government said they agree that infrastructure should be a top national priority and that the participants in the meeting had a productive and substantive discussion about various proposals, including chair of the National Governors Association Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s infrastructure initiative, and a report from the Problem Solvers Caucus. Participants also heard from experts and had discussions on the size and scope of any bipartisan infrastructure package and alternatives to funding and financing for the package.
“Although we come from different parties and different levels of government, all of us are united in our commitment to bipartisan action to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure,” Hogan said. “I want to thank each and every one of these leaders for their willingness to come together in a spirit of bipartisan cooperation and explore ways that we can find common ground on this issue, which is so fundamental to our economy, to our environment, and to our way of life.”
Participants determined federal infrastructure and public investment package discussions in the future should be guided by the principles of developing and passing packages with bipartisan support; inclusion of physical and digital infrastructure; inclusion of investments into existing physical assets to benefits communities, and enable the movement of people, water, energy and goods across the country; and the inclusion of investments into new physical assets, broadband, and energy technologies.
The group included the governors of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana and senators for Texas, Maine, West Virginia, Louisiana, Indiana, Nevada, and Utah. Representatives from 13 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico were also present.