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Klobuchar Backs Infrastructure Investments to Create New Jobs

Measure boosts commitment to fixing America's roads, bridges, and waterways

February 3, 2009

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar voted today to increase infrastructure investments in the economic recovery package.  These investments would create jobs and help fix roads, bridges and waterways that have been neglected for far too long.  The amendment to the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act would have added an additional $25 billion for essential infrastructure projects, including $13 billion to repair highways and bridges and $5 billion for mass transit projects.  The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that every $1 billion of highway spending creates nearly 48,000 new jobs and generates more than $2 billion in economic activity.  The Senate failed to pass the amendment.

“The core of the economic recovery package needs to be jobs, jobs, jobs – and investing in our roads, bridges and highways is one of the best ways to create jobs” said Klobuchar.  “I’m disappointed the amendment failed, but I am going to continue to push for increased investments in our infrastructure in the economic recovery package.   Infrastructure is the lifeblood of our economy – it creates new jobs and keeps businesses and residents moving. The challenge of jumpstarting our economy is also the opportunity to build, literally, for the future.”

The measure aimed to make sure that the economic recovery package has enough funds for all ‘shovel ready’ projects in order to get as many people back to work as fast as possible.

The amendment would have doubled clean water infrastructure funding for local municipalities and brought the commitment to highway and bridge infrastructure projects to $40 billion, and mass transit projects to $8.4 billion.

In July, Senator Klobuchar introduced a bill with Senator Durbin (D-IL) that would help repair or replace many of the 1,579 structurally deficient bridges in Minnesota, as well as thousands of bridges in disrepair throughout the United States. 

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