IFPTE Applauds Biden Administration’s $2 Trillion “American Jobs Plan”
Comprehensive infrastructure plan impacts IFPTE members directly
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) executive officers applauded today’s unveiling of President Biden’s much anticipated infrastructure package.
IFPTE President Paul Shearon:
“IFPTE commends President Biden and his administration for proposing the largest works plan in the United States since the New Deal. The package outlined today will invest trillions of dollars in long overdue infrastructure projects and modernization all throughout the nation. These are projects that will benefit all sectors of IFPTE’s membership, including those in the aerospace, energy, and health care industries, as well as those employed by the federal, state, and local governments. Everything from modernizing our aging transit, inland waterways, ports and airports, to revitalizing America’s manufacturing is a part of this plan. To add icing on the cake, this plan calls for these jobs to be union represented. IFPTE enthusiastically endorses the American Jobs Plan and looks forward to working toward its passage in the United States Congress.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Matt Biggs:
“Make no mistake about it, this is a massive jobs bill - one that focuses on rebuilding the middle class by revitalizing our manufacturing base and investing in the critical infrastructure needs our nation has been facing for decades. IFPTE is particularly pleased that the President includes progressive offsets to pay for this historic plan with an accompanying worker-friendly, common-sense tax reform plan that aims to reverse the current tax code that encourages corporate greed over job creation. IFPTE thanks President Biden for putting forward such a bold plan within his first 100 days in office and looks forward to doing all we can to see to it that it becomes law.”
The plan, which calls for a $2 trillion investment in much needed projects throughout the nation, would create and maintain millions of jobs, and includes the following key projects and policies that benefit IFPTE members:$1 trillion to address the backlog of transportation infrastructure repairs needed for roads, bridges, rail, and transit;
Empowering workers in the private and public sectors by reforming labor law to strengthen the right of workers to form and join unions;
$17 billion in investments to inland waterways and ports;
$25 billion added to the Airport Improvement Program;
Ramping up public R&D investments in critical technologies as part of an federal industrial strategy that supports high-wage advanced domestic manufacturing;
$40 billion in upgrades to federal research infrastructure, including federal laboratories and research centers;
$35 billion for R&D investments in climate science and clean energy technology, including demonstration projects for advanced nuclear and hydropower energy;
$40 billion investment to address long-sanding public housing capital needs;
Aligning the corporate tax code with an economic policy that incentives and supports job creation and investments in the U.S.;
Utilizing federal procurement to ensure strong wage and labor standards, domestic manufacturing, and clean energy innovation.
To learn more about the plan, visit the White House webpage here.
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