The Republican Roadmap released by GOP U.S. Senators is a counter-proposal to President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. It falls woefully short of the environmental, safety, and equity investments needed in our national transportation system.
While pouring many more billions of dollars into the construction of new highways, this Senate Republican alternative would continue to shortchange desperately needed maintenance and repairs of existing roads and bridges. It would actually cut spending on already underfunded public transit systems by $7 billion, and do nothing to assist passenger rail, bicycle, or pedestrian options. Finally, it would fail to make the needed policy changes to address worsening safety, human mobility, and community equity problems rampant under our current transportation funding programs. As a result, one leading national transportation reform group dubs this plan a “Roadmap to Nowhere.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg addressed questions regarding the administration’s transportation infrastructure plans last week, underscoring how they serve its goals of cutting climate-altering greenhouse gases while improving equitable access to good transportation via electric auto, bus, train, and bike.
In releasing new polling data showing strong support for the American Jobs Plan, the national League of Conservation Voters said, “We have an unprecedented opportunity to make historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure by passing the American Jobs Plan — the plan we need to get millions of people back to work in new good-paying, union jobs in the clean energy economy while tackling climate change and environmental racism. The voters who elected President Biden, Vice President Harris, and environmental champions in Congress are counting on our leaders to deliver on historic commitments to clean energy, jobs, and justice and pass the American Jobs Plan. And state and local officials in all 50 states want action now.”
There’s still time to make your voice heard. Tell your members of Congress to support the American Jobs Plan!
