Congress needs to pass once-in-generation infrastructure bill

Click here to download a printable PDF version of this letter.

Our International President Tom Conway today sent a letter to members of Congress, urging them to pass the once-in-a-generation Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The text of the letter is below:

U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Dear Representative:

 

On behalf of the 850,000 members of the United Steelworkers (USW), I write to urge the passage of H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For the last nine months, our union has spoken about the importance of infrastructure through our “We Supply America” campaign, and as the largest manufacturing union in North America, our members and their employers stand ready to provide the materials and services needed to upgrade our country’s infrastructure, should this bill pass.

 

The once in a generation investment provided in H.R. 3684 will put over one trillion dollars into local economies across the country. This bipartisan agreement will help move the country into the 21st century with $550 billion in new spending on items like roads, bridges, broadband, public transit, ports, and our power grid. These efficiencies will ensure safer roads, faster internet for millions, and jobs for not just hundreds of thousands of constructions workers, but also hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers across the country. Combined with $450 billion in program reauthorizations, some of which expire if action is not taken, this bill will move the country forward and allow us to better compete globally.

 

The legislation will ensure every federal agency reviews their procurement laws and improves domestic procurement provisions consistent with our international trade obligations. The bill formalizes a “Made in America” office in the Office of Management and Budget, which will help standardize and simplify how the Federal Government complies with Buy American laws, allowing more American goods to be bought by our government, creating manufacturing jobs.

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, who know their districts best, have included nearly 1,500 projects that will receive federal highway funds for a cost of $5.7 billion. These dollars will create interchanges, tunnel repairs, and increased pedestrian safety through direct project appropriations improving quality of life for local communities. Every member of Congress, minus one, put in a request for a project.

 

The USW urges passage of this transformational package that is one unique piece in President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda. Our union remains committed to moving a budget reconciliation bill that will ensure paid leave, reduced costs for workers to collectively bargain, increased worker training, growth of domestic supply chains for clean technologies, and improved healthcare for all Americans.

A vote for infrastructure is just one more step in our union’s effort to urge Congress to improve working American’s lives and grow jobs for workers who supply America. We urge you to vote in favor of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and then quickly complete negotiations and pass the budget reconciliations bill.

 

Sincerely,

Thomas Conway 

USW International President