Blue Collar Caucus Slams Trump’s Crumbling Infrastructure Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Marc Veasey (TX-33) and Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13) co-chairs of the Blue Collar Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Trump's recently announced infrastructure proposal:

"It's no secret that fixing our nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and railroads remain a priority for both sides of the aisle. Where Democrats and Republicans differ is in our approach to spur job growth and our commitment to ensuring the economic benefits from any plan reach the middle class first," said Congressman Veasey. "President Trump's mediocre $200 billion proposal leaves states, cities, and local governments to foot the bill and puts additional pressure on their budgets that are already stretched too thin. We need an infrastructure plan that makes daily life easier for America's hard working families, not one that makes your family foot the bill with more taxes and tolls."

"There is bipartisan agreement on the need to rebuild our nation's crumbling infrastructure and put Americans back to work, and President Trump was elected upon a promise to work with Democrats to do just that," said Congressman Boyle. "Unfortunately, today's plan is all smoke and mirrors; another broken promise and missed opportunity for bipartisan problem-solving by the President. The President claims that his plan invests $1.5 trillion. In reality, the proposal includes only $200 billion in federal investment after robbing other critical investments, and leaves toll-paying families and state and local governments – already hurt by the Trump Tax Scam – to pick up the tab. Meanwhile, the proposal lets private investors dictate which projects receive funding, and doesn't say a word about Buy America purchasing requirements. This is not the ‘big league' bipartisan infrastructure we were promised."

Democrats have proposed real plans to address our national infrastructure crisis. Last week, House Democrats unveiled ‘A Better Deal to Rebuild America' which includes $1 trillion dollars in direct federal investment that would generate 16 million new jobs. In addition, the infrastructure plan will invest in American iron and steel to support good-paying jobs, and ensure opportunities for small business owners.

Current Members of the Blue Collar Caucus include: Marc Veasey (TX-33) (Co-Chair), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13) (Co-Chair), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Rick Nolan (MN-08), Dan Kildee (MI-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Tim Ryan (OH-13), John Garamendi (CA-03), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Matt Cartwright (PA-17), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Brian Higgins (NY-26), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Dina Titus (NV-01), Paul Tonko (NY-20), John Larson (CT-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Luis Gutierrez (IL-04), Cheri Bustos (IL-17), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15).