With the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Industry among some 140 supporting signatories, the United States Chamber of Commerce and Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) today launched the “Build by the Fourth of July” campaign, urging members of U.S. Congress to enact a fiscally and environmentally responsible infrastructure package by the Fourth of July 2021.
This coalition brings together a diverse group of organizations including the North America’s Building Trades Unions, National Wildlife Federation, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, as well as other leading business, policy and labor organizations.
As part of the campaign, the coalition is calling for enactment of comprehensive legislation before July 4, 2021, that will:
- Repair and update our crumbling infrastructure
- Stimulate our economy and create middle-class sustaining jobs
- Address climate change
- Promote fiscally and environmentally responsible policies
- Improve federal project approvals
“Our long-term economic recovery requires building a governing coalition committed to bipartisan solutions, and tackling a long overdue infrastructure package is an immediate way the new Congress and new administration can demonstrate their shared commitment to the betterment of the country,” stated U.S. Chamber CEO Tom Donohue. “Rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure is not only one of the fastest and most direct ways to create new jobs and spur economic growth now, but also it will sustain our modern economy for the long-term. The coalition members may not agree on every issue or detail, but we understand the importance of working together for the greater good of the American people. We strongly urge policymakers to do the same and enact a fiscally and environmentally responsible infrastructure package as one of their first priorities.”
“National infrastructure investment is the best idea that never happens. Congress must seize this opportunity to jump start our economy, repair aging systems, and advance the modern technologies needed to confront climate change,” stated BPC President Jason Grumet.
“For far too long, Congress and Administrations have talked a big game on infrastructure but put it on the backburner when it was time to act. A robust and comprehensive infrastructure package must be top priority for this new Administration and Congress. Infrastructure investment provides a real opportunity to lay a strong foundation for long-term economic growth as we recover from the COVID-19 economy, ensuring good jobs with family sustaining wages for many Americans who have been struggling to make ends meet during these past challenging months. Congress must send a big, bold, broad, and bipartisan infrastructure package to the president by July 2021,” stated NABTU President Sean McGarvey.
“The scale of the crises facing our nation—the pandemic, mass unemployment, racial injustice, and climate change—require solutions of the same magnitude. The new Congress and administration should seize the opportunity to create millions of well-paying jobs by revitalizing our country’s crumbling infrastructure, restoring our natural resources, rebuilding our manufacturing base, deploying cleaner sources of energy, and bolstering community resilience, particularly in frontline communities. We urge Congress to commit to passing comprehensive infrastructure legislation as an absolute top priority for 2021,” stated Collin O’Mara, NWF President and CEO.