By TIM ROWDEN
Editor
Washington – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and the Democratic members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), are asking the Trump Administration to announce its long-awaited infrastructure investment plan.
Duckworth, Illinois’ junior senator, said she is disappointed that President Trump hasn’t acted on his campaign promise to invest $1 trillion to repair the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and create good-paying jobs. With the summer construction season over, no plan has been announced, and it may be months before Congress has the chance to act, she said.
“He’s not gotten anything accomplished — that’s the problem,” Duckworth told the Chicago Tribune. “Illinois desperately needs infrastructure investment and the jobs that come with it and everything that comes with infrastructure investment.
“That’s one thing we could be actually working on,” she said.
In a letter, the Senators requested a meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to discuss details of how the Trump administration would carry out the President’s pledge.
At an EPW Committee hearing in May, Secretary Chao stated that the Administration would release its infrastructure plan at the end of May and unveil a legislative proposal in the third quarter of 2017. However, the Trump administration has yet to announce any infrastructure proposals that would fulfill the President’s frequent campaign promise.
THE LETTER
In the letter, Duckworth and the Democratic lawmakers wrote:
“[President Trump’s] message was one that resonated with the American voters, just as it appealed to us as members of Congress, eager to lay the foundation for investments that would create jobs, improve our economy, and enhance the quality of life in communities throughout the country. Senate Democrats have put forward our own ‘Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure,’ which would invest $1 trillion in our nation’s infrastructure, creating over 15 million American jobs. We stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues on a significant infrastructure effort such as the one we have proposed.
“We request that you and any other appropriate Administration officials meet with us to share the Administration’s long-awaited infrastructure plan. Following quickly thereafter, we would hope that you will be able to formally transmit the Administration’s plan to Congress so that we may understand the Administration’s priorities as we get to work on developing a comprehensive infrastructure investment package.”
JOINING THE CALL FOR ACTION
Joining Senators Duckworth and Carper (D-DE) were Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Kamala Harris (D-CA).
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