ACEC Statement on the State of the Union Address

March 1, 2022

ACEC Statement on the State of the Union Address

“Tonight, President Biden said, ‘We’re done talking about an infrastructure week, we’re talking about an infrastructure decade.’ America’s engineering industry is already working hard to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and design the new highways and bridges that will transform America. We applaud the president and Congress for getting this bill signed into law, however, we also recognize that much still needs to be done for the bill to truly live up to its name.

Short-term stop-gap spending measures do not include the funding levels necessary to carry out the work the IIJA has authorized. We urge Congress to pass its appropriations bills now to ensure the IIJA can be fully implemented. 

We also urge the president and Congress to realize that while the engineering industry has the will to carry out a generational investment in our infrastructure, our capacity to do the work is limited. 

President Biden discussed the need to prepare for 21st century jobs, and America needs more engineers. We call on President Biden and Congress to focus on policies that encourage the flow of engineering talent into the United States through expanded H1-B visas, while encouraging more American students to join STEM fields. It’s time to fill the engineering pipeline of talent.” 

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