As the Biden administration steps up its push to advance a sweeping infrastructure plan, members of Congress are considering ways to make the package bipartisan. For Republicans, that means addressing America’s long-neglected infrastructure without hamstringing the economic recovery and leaving future generations burdened with debt.
Conservatives are understandably concerned about the rapid pace of the Biden administration’s spending of taxpayers’ dollars. But they should also recognize the opportunity to address America’s long-neglected infrastructure needs.
This is a moment where ambitious spending if done right, can generate favorable returns on our nation’s investments — but only if Republicans make their voices heard.
Republicans need to have a seat at the table to help shape the eventual package to ensure it’s fiscally sound and focused on modernizing our national infrastructure and creating jobs.
One lens to view infrastructure funding through is disaster preparedness, which is why ConservAmerica recently joined the SmarterSafer Coalition and other advocacy organizations. Money spent now on resiliency to prepare for future extreme weather events makes sense in dollars and cents.
ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer co-authored an op-ed in The Hill with Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Executive Director Heather Reams discussing clean energy jobs losses due to COVID-19. They wrote that that legislation including America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act and the American Energy Innovation Act could help spur economic recovery and rebuild the sector’s workforce.