Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is A Promising First Step - IFPTE Urges YES Vote

With the release of the legislative text for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, IFPTE requested Senators pass the “$1.2 trillion legislation which adds a significant $550 billion in new infrastructure funding and includes necessary reauthorizations for surface transportation, water, and energy infrastructure.

Writing that the final, negotiated deal represents, “a pathway for encouraging high-quality union jobs in the public and private sectors throughout the U.S”, IFPTE shared some of the membership’s priorities for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal:

·     Transit and Rail Modernization – This bill provides $39.2 billion for public transit and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail. We applaud this commitment and ask you to maintain language that closes transit equity gaps, prepares for future investments, includes disaster mitigation, and requires set-asides for low-income and underserved urban and rural areas.

·     Investments in Energy and Electric Grid – We applaud the inclusion of the bipartisan Energy Infrastructure Act, which provides $73 billion for power infrastructure. As recent outages in regional transmission systems have shown, investment in a resilient and energy efficient transmission and distribution system is urgently required to meet current needs and to prepare for future expansion of clean energy generation and utilization.

·     Highway, Road, Bridge Repair and Construction, and Safety – The $110 billion for major projects in surface transportation is long overdue to remedy the poor or mediocre condition that 40% of the nation’s roads and highways are in and the structurally deficient that 7.5% of the nation’s bridges are in. Additionally, funding for safety for pedestrians and bicyclists through the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” program, SMART grants, and other provisions are welcome steps in preventing needless death and injury on our highways and streets.

·     Ports and Waterways – This bill’s commitment of $9.55 billion in new spending for Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure projects is a significant step towards resolving the backlog of repairs and maintenance while also mitigating the impact of natural disasters and improving infrastructure resiliency.  We urge you to maintain this robust investment in critical multimodal infrastructure.

·     Airports – With long-term trends indicating growing capacity challenges, our aviation infrastructure is expected to face at least a $11 billion funding shortfall over 10 years in pre-pandemic projections, this bill’s $25 billion commitment to airport infrastructure will meeting current and upcoming needs.   

·     Investment in Drinking and Wastewater Systems – The $55 billion for upgrading and fixing service and sewer lines and pipes addresses a critical public health issue for millions of American families. The inclusion of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act will increase the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our water systems for all Americans.   

·     Expanding Broadband Across the U.S. – The $65 billion allocation for broadband infrastructure will expand internet access to families, schools, and businesses throughout the nation. We applaud $40 billion in grants to states as well as the inclusion of provisions to assure affordability and access to tribal and rural areas.

·     Support for American Jobs and Buy America – IFPTE applauds the inclusion of the Build America Buy America Act. Additionally, we urge lawmakers to ensure prevailing wage and labor standards are maintained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.

Download a PDF of the full letter here.