SCHUMER: KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE—CONSTRUCTED WITH 80% FED FUNDS—IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT THAT FEDERAL INVESTMENT CAN ACCOMPLISH; OVER $440M IN FED DOLLARS WERE INVESTED IN NYC PROJECT, CREATING JOBS, BUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY & FIXING A CRITICAL YET CRUMBLING BRIDGE

Modern Bridge Replacing Decrepit One Builds The Case For Schumer/Senate Dem Infrastructure Plan To Invest A Trillion Dollars and Create 15 Million Jobs Upgrading Roads, Bridges, Mass Transit, Water-Sewer, Schools And More Across the USA

Over-Relying on Private Investment To Build and Modernize Vital Infrastructure Will Reward Big Banks, Leave Thousands of Projects on the Shelf & Saddle Everyone Else With a Lifetime of High Tolls; Without Direct Federal Investment, Kosciuszko Bridge Replacement Would Still Be An Urgent Need, Rather Than a Reality 

Schumer: Direct Fed Investment In Big Infrastructure Projects Is A Bridge To A Stronger Economy & More Jobs In NY 

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer released the following on the opening of the new Kosciuszko Bridge, which was supported with 80% federal dollars that Schumer helped deliver. The aging and crumbling span is a vital link in the regional and national transportation system over which hundreds of thousands of vehicles pass each day providing passage for countless goods, services and labor that bolster the nation’s economy.

“The bottom line is that the achievement we are touting today, one that will help keep our regional and national economy buzzing, is the exactly the kind of critical construction project that would still be sitting on the shelf without federal investment,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “The Kosciuszko bridge is a prime example of what can be accomplished with direct and substantial federal investment in infrastructure, and the Senate Democrats’ infrastructure plan – that we sent to the President over three months ago – would energize thousands more projects like this to be built across the United States of America creating 15 million new jobs. The President and Republicans should get on board with our plan and allow America to get to work rebuilding our infrastructure.

“We sent our Infrastructure Plan to the White House over three months ago, but have not yet heard back from them. So far, no real plan has been proposed by this administration to build the many thousands of  Kosciuszko Bridges and roads and schools and water-sewer systems we must modernize and build in every state in this nation. What we have heard relies too much on private investment to build vital public infrastructure – and that approach just won’t get the job done. Too many communities, especially rural ones, will be left high and dry. It will reward big banks and investors, leave thousands of projects sitting on the shelf, and saddle everyone else with a lifetime of high tolls to pay for it,” Schumer added.

In addition to still not issuing a meaningful infrastructure plan, Schumer also pointed out that President Trump’s budget defunds federal programs like New Starts and TIGER that are essential to other major New York City infrastructure projects. The total cost of the bridge project was roughly $555M and $444M came from federal funds.

The Senate Democrats’ Blueprint to Rebuild America's Infrastructure includes a $1 trillion investment and would create more than 15 million jobs over the next 10 years. The comprehensive blueprint proposes billions for funding essential road and bridge improvement projects, expanding broadband in rural communities, repairing critical rail systems in major cities, modernizing VA hospitals, rebuilding public schools, expanding port and waterway infrastructure, rehabilitating water and sewer structures, and much more.

Specifically, the blueprint proposes $210 billion to repair crumbling roads and bridges, saving the average American family over $1,700 per year. Reconstructing roads and bridges will create 1.3 million new jobs and will provide federal funding to repair structurally deficient bridges in the Federal-aid Highway System, to ensure efficient shipping and passenger travel. The blueprint also proposes $200 billion for a new vital infrastructure projects program that will direct major federal investments to the most critical national projects, creating 2.6 million new jobs.

The Schumer-led Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure is available upon request.

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