U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue outlined a four-point plan for infrastructure modernization and investment.
In the plan, Donohue frames the country’s infrastructure issue as a top priority for the business community and urges Congress to take immediate action to advance an infrastructure bill.
The plan was unveiled at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s America’s Infrastructure Summit. During the event, Donohue was joined by trade association leaders who explained why infrastructure modernization is vital to the business community’s success.
Specifically, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recommends increasing the federal fuel user fee by 25 cents; implementing a multi-faceted approach for leveraging more public and private resources; streamlining the permitting process at the federal, state and local levels; and expanding the American workforce through work-based learning and immigration reform.
“This isn’t a set of demands,” Donohue says. “It’s a handful of ideas that we believe policymakers should consider as they begin work on this critical national priority We will work with anyone who is committed to getting this done for our country. It’s time to invest in a 21st century infrastructure system to support and grow our 21st century economy. It’s time to approach this as a national imperative for long-term growth and competitiveness – not an exercise in parochial politics.”
In order to build a skilled workforce that will be ready to undertake existing and new infrastructure projects in the years ahead, Donohue expressed the Chamber’s support for immigration reform and its commitment to advancing employer-led solutions for closing the skills gap.
“This is the next great opportunity to do something significant, something long-lasting, and something long overdue for our nation’s future,” Donohue says. “And it will benefit all of us.”
