Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Congress to Enact Commonsense Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) and Elizabeth Esty (CT-05), co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus Infrastructure Working Group, released a bipartisan report today highlighting a series of recommendations to build a 21st century infrastructure network.
The Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan group in Congress comprising of 48 members – equally divided between Democrats and Republicans – who are committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues. It is led by Co-Chairs Tom Reed (NY-23) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05). The Caucus launched the Infrastructure Working Group to find consensus on a bipartisan set of policies to serve as the bedrock for a plan that addresses the dire need to rebuild and responsibly invest in infrastructure across the United States.
The Infrastructure Working Group met with over one hundred outside stakeholder organizations, the Administration, and leaders in Congress, to develop bipartisan concepts to move an infrastructure plan forward. These bipartisan policy options will be the foundation for a comprehensive plan to improve the nation’s highways, roads and bridges, transit and railways, ports and airports, water and sewer systems, energy systems and the power grid, and broadband and communications networks.
Rep. John Katko stated, “In Central New York and across the country, our infrastructure is crumbling. Bridges, roads, and ports have fallen into disrepair and states and local municipalities are not able to plan for the long-term. I was proud to work in a bipartisan manner with Rep. Esty and members of the Problem Solvers Infrastructure Working Group to produce a comprehensive report detailing areas in which we can begin to work together to streamline processes and provide sustainable funding solutions. In doing so, we’ve signaled to President Trump, as well as leaders on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate, that we are ready to work in a bipartisan manner to move our nation’s infrastructure forward.”
“Our country became great because Americans dreamed big, built big, and made bold decisions. Working together, we spanned rivers, electrified rural America, built railroads across the continent, connected cities thousands of miles apart with highways, and moved information faster than humans ever imagined possible,” said Rep. Elizabeth Esty. “Those investments created millions of jobs, led to unprecedented mobility and innovation, and established America as the envy of the world. Today, millions of Americans see aging airports and rightly wonder if we’re still capable of tackling the toughest challenges our country faces in a bold, bipartisan manner. That’s why I’m proud to lead this effort with Congressman Katko and the members of the Problem Solvers Caucus to fix our country’s broken infrastructure and put people back to work. You cannot build a 21st century economy with a mid-20th century infrastructure. It’s time for infrastructure.”
“It’s always better for the country when we act together. The bipartisan policy solutions we’ve delivered provide Congress the building blocks necessary to craft a comprehensive infrastructure plan that both parties can agree to,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Tom Reed. “We’ve paved a bipartisan path to get to ‘yes’ and look forward to working with key leaders in Congress to find the right mix of policies to create legislation that can, and should, be enacted into law as soon as possible.”
“Today, one-third of the bridges and tunnels in New Jersey are considered unsafe, and we have the eighth worst roads in the country. Too many of our pipes are filled with lead; many of our residents have no access to broadband, at all,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Josh Gottheimer. “Commutes are a disaster, and it’s ruining family time and crippling our economy. We can’t keep kicking this problem down the road. Today’s report details options for solving these problems, and it’s a good bipartisan starting point. It’s time to get a better ROI in New Jersey for our existing tax dollars. Under no circumstance can we increase gas taxes or tolls – or any taxes for that matter.”
Congressman John Katko represents the 24th Congressional District of New York, which includes all of Onondaga, Cayuga, and Wayne Counties and the western portion of Oswego County. For more information visit https://katko.house.gov or www.facebook.com/RepJohnKatko.
