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SOTU: America’s Roads & Bridges Need President in Driver’s Seat

Long-Term Economic Investment Will Pave Way for Middle Class Growth

Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2014) – Ahead of this Tuesday’s State of the Union Address, Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers' International Union of North America – is awaiting President Barack Obama’s proposal for a long-term investment in our nation’s transportation system before the MAP-21 Highway bill expires on October 1st:

“We need our President in the driver’s seat of rebuilding America’s crumbling roads and bridges. Congress’s duct-tape approach is destabilizing the construction industry, stalling projects, freezing jobs and slowing our economy. If Congress fails to act this year, the Highway Trust Fund will go off the fiscal cliff.

“As soon as the President signs a bill into law, LIUNA’s half-million members are ready to get to work. With strong leadership, along with support from states and cities, fixing our broken transportation system will create family-supporting jobs that help more working families earn their way into the middle class, one of the most powerful drivers for America’s economic growth. Simply bridging the gap of our nation’s Highway Trust Fund could be enough to create over 100,000 new jobs, based on estimates by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

“Passing a new long-term bill, not just for a year or two, could save hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. Adjusting user fees for inflation, along with new bipartisan proposals for infrastructure banks and loan guarantees to develop more public-private partnerships, will help reduce a deficit that is expected to reach 15 billion dollars this year alone. Plus, every dollar we invest now could save $14 down the road, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.”

 

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America. For the latest news, check out our media kit here.