Urges Swift Action on Highway Bill to Keep Our Roads and Bridges Safe
Washington, D.C. (June 10, 2014) – With President Obama’s signature on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:
We applaud Congress for their bipartisan action in passing the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, which will help strengthen our country by providing resources for sorely needed upgrades to our waterways.
As important as the water bill is, Congress also proved it can put politics aside and act in the interests of the American people. We are eager to see them do it again by passing a long-term, full-investment Highway Bill that keeps our roads and bridges safe and creates stability and confidence in the construction industry, which is needed to invest in longer-term, jobs-creating projects.
The stakes are high. The average bridge in the U.S. is 46 years old, dangerously close to the average 50-year lifespan. Potholes and poor road conditions contribute to a third of all traffic fatalities. If Congress fails to act, the Highway Trust Fund will cease to provide urgently needed transportation resources to states across the country, putting public safety and our economy at risk.
Congress has viable, responsible options to work with, including adjusting the gas tax, which has eroded by 40 percent since 1993. The American people want bi-partisan action and if they are assured resources will go to their roads and bridges, they are willing to pay for it.