ACEC News / Convention
April 28, 2021
U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg Calls for Passage of Infrastructure Bill by Memorial Day
Addressing the ACEC Annual Convention this morning, U.S. Transportation Secretary said passing a comprehensive infrastructure package this year is “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He called on Congress to put together and pass legislation by Memorial Day.
Calling himself an “infrastructure enthusiast,” Buttigieg said we are “in a perfect storm…of demonstrated need, bipartisan support among the people, leadership in Washington, and a climate that is calling on us to act.”
He said the $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan isn’t “just proposing to build back to where we were in 2019. This is about looking ahead to the next 50 years. Climate change and equity and built into every part of this plan.”
Buttigieg stressed that there is enormous bipartisan support among the American people for robust infrastructure investment, and said he was enthused by the Senate Republicans’ $568 billion infrastructure proposal.
“If there is any area for bipartisan cooperation on Capitol Hill, this has to be it,” he said. “We have a counterproposal on the table and now we’re off to the races with negotiations.”
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