While the political maneuvering continues in the House, industry and business groups reacted favorably to a massive, comprehensive, bipartisan highway, transit, water, broadband construction bill. Here’s some reaction: American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall on the Senate passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“AFBF appreciates the Senate for working together in a bipartisan manner to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The pressing infrastructure issues facing our nation are too important to ignore, particularly in rural communities where modernization is desperately needed.
“Farmers and ranchers depend on millions of miles of roadways and waterways to get their products to America’s dinner tables, and they rely on ports to ship food, fiber and fuel to countries around the world. Improvements in transportation infrastructure, as well as repair and upgrades to the aging western water infrastructure, will ensure farmers can continue to keep this nation fed.
“Extending digital access to rural America is just as important as paved roads and solid bridges. Increased funding to bring broadband to hundreds of thousands of farms that currently have no access to the internet will help farmers meet the demands of a growing world while using emerging technologies to build on climate-smart practices.
“We thank the Senate for working toward solutions while preserving important tax provisions that make it possible for farmers to pass the family business to the next generation.
"We urge leaders in the House to follow the Senate’s lead by leaving tax rates and stepped-up basis unchanged. Through bipartisan efforts we can continue to find commonsense solutions. We are closely watching the progress of this important legislation and will continue to work to protect the future of farming while creating opportunities for rural America.”
From the US Chamber of Commerce
Our elected leaders are on the precipice of a historic investment in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Turning this long-overdue promise into a reality will grow our economy and strengthen our competitiveness for decades to come. We applaud the Senate for doing its job on a bipartisan basis, thoughtfully debating and passing much-needed infrastructure legislation that will finally invest in America’s roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, create millions of jobs, and improve the quality of life for every American. Now it is time for the House to continue the bipartisan progress and send this bill to the president’s desk.”
For over a decade, the U.S. Chamber has been advocating for infrastructure investment. This year alone, the Chamber created the Build by the Fourth of July initiative with over 300 national and local organizations; launched and led the Coalition for Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment consisting of over 100 business, labor, and public policy organizations; issued a joint statement with prominent business leaders; and sent letters of support and encouragement to members of Congress, including one signed by over 200 state and local chambers.
From the American Association is State Highway and Transportation Officials
“The investments made in the Senate package would facilitate long overdue repairs and improvements to our roads, bridges, rail, and public transportation systems, as well as investing in airports, ports, broadband, and water systems,” the letter noted. “The investments would create new jobs through project construction in the short term, and provide improved safety, mobility, and quality of life for decades to come.”
The IIJA provides an estimated $550 billion in new spending over five years on top of current Fixing America’s Surface Transportation or FAST Act funding levels. It does so by incorporating the $303.5 billion highway bill (Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021) passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in May along with the safety and rail bill (Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021) passed 25 to 3 by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
The IIJA also directly reauthorizes federal transit programs based on the Senate Banking Committee input, as that committee did not pass a transit reauthorization bill prior to the unveiling of the IIJA on July 28.
AASHTO noted that this bill is the result of an “unconventional process” whereby a “bipartisan bloc” of 21 Senators – comprised of 10 Republicans and 11 Democrats – took leadership of this package regardless of their committee assignments.