Transportation and Infrastructure

Washington – Today, Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, Joshua Bolten, President & CEO of Business Roundtable, and Suzanne Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, issued the following statement:

“There is a clear path forward for bipartisan agreement on meaningful infrastructure legislation. We urge Congress and the Administration to seize this opportunity – one that has eluded policymakers for years – to enact significant investment and durable reforms that would strengthen the economic recovery and create the conditions for high-paying jobs over the long-term.

“Our organizations are united in the belief that a major investment in physical infrastructure can, and should, be financed in a manner that will help grow our economy and enable U.S. businesses to compete globally as we emerge from the pandemic. Specifically, instead of tax increases that would harm American businesses and workers, Congress can fund these critical infrastructure investments with a combination of public-private partnerships, user fees, and reallocated unused federal appropriations, among others. We also believe that public debt and bonding authority is an appropriate and logical funding source for capital projects with a multi-decade useful life span.

“A bipartisan deal is within reach, and at a time when our competitiveness around the globe is at stake. Congress and the Administration should continue bipartisan negotiations and pursue a regular order process. Now is the time to do the right thing for the country – not fall further behind.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.