Trump pushes for $1.5T infrastructure bill in State of the Union address
Jan 30, 2018, 7:58 PM
(Flickr photo)
(Flickr photo)
PHOENIX — During his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, President Donald Trump called on Congress to produce a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill.
“America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year — is it not a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a permit approved for a simple road?” Trump said.
“I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve.”
Trump said as part of the bill, every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with both state and local governments. He also called on lawmakers to tap into the private sector to “permanently fix the infrastructure deficit.”
The bill, he added, should also streamline the permitting and approval process in order to get it down to at least two years.
“Together, we can reclaim our building heritage. We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways across our land. And we will do it with American heart, American hands, and American grit,” Trump said.
“We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day’s work. We want every child to be safe in their home at night. And we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we love.”
