Public works group urges Congress to fully fund IIJA

By |  January 18, 2022

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The American Public Works Association (APWA), which describes itself as the nation’s largest organization of public works professionals, urged Congress to fully appropriate funds for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA).

President Biden signed IIJA into law in November.

In their letter, APWA CEO Scott Grayson and president Stan Brown write to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), encouraging the Senate Committee on Appropriations to offer full fiscal-year 2022 appropriations for IIJA.

“With passage of the IIJA, Congress offered a bold vision for the future of our nation’s infrastructure,” Grayson and Brown write. “Now, it is time to ensure that the legislation receives full funding for implementation, thus ensuring that American infrastructure can support the lives of every citizen and continue to contribute to our nation’s general welfare as it has historically.”

Grayson and Brown say full funding for IIJA is critical to ensure the nation’s infrastructure system receives the support Congress recognizes and intends through passage of the new law.

“Each day, millions of Americans commute to work on aging highways, roads and bridges, utilize out-of-date water and wastewater systems, and rely upon thinly stretched emergency management services to respond to natural disasters, traffic incidents and other life-threatening scenarios,” Grayson and Brown write. “In short, infrastructure is what keeps our nation running, and now, more than ever, Americans need the support promised by the IIJA.”

Kevin Yanik

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

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