The following is a statement by Kristina Swallow, PE, President, American Society of Civil Engineers on President Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress on Jan. 30, 2018:
“A year into his Presidency, the American Society of Civil Engineers is pleased that President Trump has focused national attention on improving our roads, bridges, and water systems through a major federal bill. Our existing infrastructure, which received a ‘D+’ in the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, costs every American family an average of $3,400 a year in disposable income because it is outdated and unreliable.
“Congress should seize this opportunity to provide better infrastructure to the American people in a bipartisan fashion by closing the infrastructure deficit, as President Trump proposed. Infrastructure investment is one area where both Democrats and Republicans agree. I urge Congress to develop legislation that increases federal investment in infrastructure, including fixing the Highway Trust Fund. Further this bill should make investments that provide substantial, long-term benefits to the economy, consider the cost of a project over its lifespan, and be built sustainably and resiliently to maximize investment. Using existing federal programs’ selection process as a starting place, ASCE is confident that increased investment will modernize our infrastructure, improve public health and safety, and drive our economy forward.”
Check back tomorrow for a full analysis of the President’s remarks on infrastructure during the State of the Union.