OOIDA and transportation leaders react to State of the Union address
According to the White House, the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure law is well on its way toward the goal of “building a better America.”
During his State of the Union address on Feb. 7, President Joe Biden applauded the law for creating jobs while addressing much-needed repairs to the country’s aging infrastructure, which the president says now ranks 13th in the world in terms of modern infrastructure.
“Already, we’ve funded over 20,000 projects, including major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland,” Biden said. “Projects that are going to put thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, our bridges, our railroads, our tunnels, ports, airports, clean water, high-speed internet all across America. Urban, rural, tribal. And folks, we’re just getting started.”
Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said he’s encouraged by the potential impact on job growth for his state.
“These projects don’t happen on their own. Infrastructure means jobs for millions of women and men. In my congressional district alone, the law is expected to create or sustain more than 9,000 jobs and more than 112,000 jobs in Washington state,” Larsen said in a statement. “For the next two years, I will be laser-focused on implementing the bipartisan infrastructure law to build a future in which everyone benefits.”
The legislation was expected to add around 2 million jobs per year over the next decade, according to the White House.
In addition to creating jobs, Biden announced new standards for federal infrastructure projects that would require all construction materials used to be made in America.
“Made in America. I mean it. Lumber, glass, drywall, fiber-optic cable,” Biden said. “And on my watch, American roads, bridges and American highways are going to be made with American products as well.”
The president said the infrastructure law – as well as several other policy decisions – are starting to bear fruit.
“Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back, because of choices we made in the last several years,” Biden said during his address. “You know, this is, in my view, a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives at home.”
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said that while there is reason for optimism, there is still plenty of work left to be done.
“The president gave a strong speech about America’s opportunities ahead. The bills we passed – the bipartisan infrastructure law, CHIPS and Science, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, the Inflation Reduction Act – deliver historic investments in our infrastructure, manufacturing, science and innovation,” Cantwell said in a statement. “We must build on that progress and turn those investments into real solutions that will make our nation and our manufacturers more competitive, bring more good-paying jobs back to America and build a resilient economy for the future.”
However, not everyone was as quick to applaud the president’s use of infrastructure dollars. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., criticized the administration for pursuing what he calls “woke priorities.”
“As most Americans know just by looking at their last grocery bill or heating bill, the inflation, supply chain and energy crises in this country are still very real and continue to drive up the costs of just about everything. All of these crises have been made worse by the administration’s spending and policies, but instead of focusing on the critical infrastructure that can improve the supply chain and help lower the costs of goods and energy, the president is focusing more on his administration’s green, woke priorities,” Graves said in a statement. “As we move ahead this Congress, I look forward to moving legislation through the House that focuses on addressing the nation’s most critical infrastructure needs and tackling supply chain challenges.”
Throughout the speech, Biden commended the bipartisan work already done to help better the country and implored those from both parties to continue to work collaboratively.
Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said the organization will need that support to address longstanding issues within the transportation industry.
“President Biden stressed the need for Congress to reach across the aisle to help hard-working Americans,” Spencer said. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members across America are ready and willing to continue working with the administration and Congress on bipartisan solutions that we have long championed, such as legislation to expand the truck parking supply, to ensure truckers have basic restroom access, and to create a fairer driver compensation model.”
You can watch the Biden’s full address below. LL
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