CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE: America’s infrastructure is out of date and falling apart, particularly the internal waterways that are so vital for transporting the country’s goods.
- The Obama Administration’s attempt to rebuild the country’s infrastructure was an expensive waste that saw little money actually go to infrastructure.
- Less than 10 percent of stimulus money was dedicated to rebuilding infrastructure.
- Of $836 billion in stimulus spending, just $28 billion went to highways, $8 billion to water systems, $5 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers, and $1 billion to airports.
- Billions were spent on projects that still have not been completed after years of development or were of little actual value.
- The waterways of the United States are vital for its industry and economic growth of the country, transporting everything from corn to steel and coal.
- According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), our inland waterways delivered more than 575 million tons of cargo, valued at $229 billion.
- According to the Department of Transportation, inland waterways support more than 270,000 jobs and $30.9 billion in economic activity.
- 60 percent of the grain meant for export uses inland waterways to reach the Gulf of Mexico.
- American steel production is entirely dependent on the inland waterways system.
- Up to 25 percent of the country’s energy cargo, including coal, and petroleum, are moved on inland waterways.
- The infrastructure of America’s inland waterways has been allowed to fall apart, causing delays and preventing the United States from achieving its economic potential.
- According to the ASCE, most of the locks and dams needed to travel the internal waterways are past their 50-year lifespan and nearly 50 percent of voyages suffered delays.
- Our inland waterway system requires $8.7 billion in maintenance and the maintenance backlog is only getting worse.
REBUILDING AMERICA: President Donald J. Trump is pushing to rebuild the infrastructure of the United States by partnering with the private sector and getting government out of the way.
- President Trump will spur growth and investment in infrastructure by dramatically reducing permitting time for projects from 10 years to 2 years and slashing regulations to speed up the decision making process.
- The President has dedicated $200 billion in his budget as part of a $1 trillion investment plan to rebuild infrastructure.
- Transformative projects to bring the country’s infrastructure into the 21st century will be funded through a mixture of loans and grants, such as air traffic control privatization.
- Rural America will receive grants to rebuild crippled bridges, roads, and waterways.
- States and cities will receive grants to meet their own infrastructure challenges.
- Qualified projects of regional and national significance, such as those created under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, will receive loans.
- Government will get out of the way to allow State and local governments to succeed at meeting their unique challenges.
- Only 1/5 of infrastructure spending comes from the Federal Government, the vast majority comes from states, localities, and the private sector.
PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Trump is following through on his promise to rebuild the country.
- On September 15, 2016, then-candidate Trump:
- “Crumbling roads and bridges can become gleaming new infrastructure.”
- “We will rebuild our roads, bridges, tunnels, highways, airports, schools, and hospitals.”
