Report highlights importance of infrastructure investments

The American Society of Civil Engineers recently published a new report making clear the economic necessity of investing in our nation’s infrastructure. The report, entitled Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Airports, Inland Waterways, and Marine Ports Infrastructure, highlights the broad economic repercussions of failing to invest in our nation’s trading centers.

The report’s economic findings demonstrate the urgent need for significant investment in our aging infrastructure—for our continued productivity, our economic competitiveness and the affordability of the millions of household goods that traverse our ports. An investment of $15.8 billion is needed by 2020, the report finds, to close the funding gap and accommodate trade growth in our marine ports and inland waterways. The stakes are high. If we fail to close the gap, the report estimates cumulative losses of $697 billion in GDP, $1.3 trillion in business sales, $872 billion in disposable personal income, and $270 billion in exports By 2040, these losses reach into the trillions of dollars.

Senator Coons has been an outspoken advocate for infrastructure investment, co-sponsoring legislation such as the Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development Act,the Rebuild America Jobs Act and the Harbor Maintenance Act that invest in America’s future while providing high wage, high skill jobs for American workers.

The Port of Wilmington plays a critical role in Delaware’s economy, transporting more than five million tons of goods and generating nearly $30 million in state tax revenue each year. The port’s operations provide jobs for 5,000 Delawareans and planned expansions could create up to 75,000 jobs in the region. The Delaware River Deepening Project, slated for completion in 2017, would dredge the Delaware River from a depth of 40 feet to 45 feet, which will attract larger, more efficient cargo ships and increase Wilmington’s competiveness on the Eastern Seaboard. Chris is committed to ensuring its completion and will keep fighting to make sure the Port of Wilmington has the resources it needs to thrive.

ICYMI: Senator Coons and Secretary Clinton travel to Africa

From the Associated Press: Over the weekend, Senator Chris Coons traveled to Liberia with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others as part of the official U.S. delegation to the inauguration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The Associated Press ran a story detailing efforts by Liberia and other countries in West Africa to develop into stable, prosperous, democratic nations.

Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, has been a strong advocate for American investment in Africa’s rapidly expanding economy. He believes that working with Africa will not only make the continent more stable and increase global security, it will also create jobs and economic opportunity here in the United States. With China making significant headway in the region, America can’t afford to be left behind.    

Excerpt from the article:

Across town and above the stunted concrete edifices of Liberia's capital stood the nearly as new Chinese Embassy, a reminder of the Asian power's growing commercial and diplomatic clout in Africa. With diamonds and timber, and possibly even offshore oil, Liberia is typical of many African countries waiting for a surge in prosperity and a partner to share in the spoils of its increased development.

"We're missing an important strategic opportunity for the United States," warned Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del. "China is taking advantage of our absence as a major funder of infrastructure and is advancing their economic and, I think, policy agenda across the continent."

Click here to read the full story on the CBS News site.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy.

Click here to read Chris’ opening statement from the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee hearing he chaired, entitled “China’s Role in Africa: Implications for U.S. Policy.”

Toll plaza upgrades help I-95 Thanksgiving traffic

NEWARK — For years, the Newark Toll Plaza has been a bottleneck for vehicles traveling on I-95, especially during the holidays. Thanks to the completion of the new toll plaza and its high-speed E-ZPass lanes, this Thanksgiving’s traffic moved swiftly, handling 611,332 vehicles — an increase of 41,642 vehicles over 2010. Even more impressive was the rate at which cars passed through the new toll plaza — an average of 400 more per hour as compared to 2010.

The toll plaza has been under construction for about two years and was opened in July, both on budget and a month ahead of schedule. This $32 million project was one of the main American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) infrastructure projects for Delaware, improving the flow of traffic through Delaware. The success of the project is one example of the importance of investing in our nation’s infrastructure to keep up with the demand.

Chris has called for the modernizing and expanding of our national infrastructure since coming to the Senate because it would help boost the economy by providing Americans with highly skilled, high-paying jobs. In November, Chris spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Rebuild America Jobs Act, which was introduced to help address America’s jobs crisis by investing in America’s crumbling infrastructure.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on transportation and infrastructure.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work to create jobs. 

Blocked

There has been no more frustrating part of my first year in the Senate than watching job-creating bill after job-creating bill get blocked by a gridlocked Congress. We’ve had so many opportunities to make a difference, but partisan gridlock has made it impossible to make real progress against America’s jobs crisis.

Finding jobs for our neighbors and helping our economy recover remains my top priority, which is why this week I cosponsored and worked aggressively for the Rebuild America Jobs Act — the second component of President Obama’s American Jobs Act to be brought before the Senate on its own.

Like its predecessors, this job-creating measure was blocked.

The Rebuild America Jobs Act would have gotten hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job addressing one of our nation’s most serious long-term problems — its crumbling infrastructure. That's why I went to the floor twice this week to voice my support for this bill. Click here to watch to my first speech

The traffic we see on our crumbling roads is nothing compared to the partisan gridlock that has prevented us from making real progress in fighting our jobs crisis.  Investments in America’s infrastructure are investments in America’s future, making the Rebuild America Jobs Act smart policy that would have made a real difference.

The highlights of my first year of service in the Senate may well be the three job fairs I hosted around the state, which connected nearly 5,000 of our neighbors with more than 100 employers. Washington can learn a lot from Delaware about what it means to get the job done.

I’ll keep trying to pass legislation in Washington to punch back against this recession that has taken so much from so many American families, and I’ll keep doing all I can in Delaware to help our business grow and our connect out-of-work neighbors with employers ready to hire.

Video: Why we need an infrastructure bank

Senator Coons went to the floor again Thursday to trumpet the national infrastructure provisions in the Rebuild America Jobs Act. Chris is also a cosponsor of the BUILD Act, a standalone billed introduced earlier this year that would create the American Infrastructure Finance Authority to bring more private investment into infrastructure efforts.

With America facing a need for more than $2.2 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next five years, an infrastructure bank would help struggling state and local government to find the financing they need to repair their roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, railways, water and sewer systems.

"In my view, we have to get creative," Senator Coons said. "We have to bring in more resources than are currently on the field. And especially now, especially in this country, I think we have to be smart about how we spend our funds. The Rebuild America Jobs Act, to which I hope we will be moving later this afternoon, would put $50 billion directly into infrastructure but $10 billion as a down payment into making possible this new infrastructure bank. Seed money that makes possible loans and loan guarantees, not grants, for a wide range of infrastructure projects including energy, water and critically needed transportation."

Watch the speech above, or click here to read the transcript.

Senator Coons, economists discuss ideas for job creation

Senator Coons participated in a forum with economists from the public and private sectors on Wednesday to look at innovative ways to jumpstart the economy and create jobs. The meeting, which was hosted by the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, mainly focused on broad economic strategies for improving our economy, with an emphasis on consumer confidence and demand.

“My number one priority since joining the Senate has been creating jobs for Delaware and helping Delaware business grow,” Chris said. “In August, I hosted three roundtable discussions with Delaware business leaders to listen to their ideas for job creation. It’s imperative that we continue to seek counsel from a wide range of stakeholders, so we can keep the lines of communication open and the ideas on how to create jobs flowing.” 

The panel examined job-creating initiatives currently being reviewed by the Senate, including the latest measure put forth by Senate Democrats, the Rebuild America Jobs Act. This legislation would create jobs through investments in our nation’s decaying transportation infrastructure. Senator Coons is a cosponsor and spoke on it on the floor on Wednesday.

In August, Senator Coons hosted several jobs roundtables discussions in Delaware on: jobs for Delaware's veterans, jobs in Delaware's high-tech and R&D sector, and jobs in Delaware's community-based businesses

In addition to the roundtable discussion, Chris hosted three in-state job fairs this year with more than 4,900 job seekers in attendance.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ blueprint for job creation.

Click here to share your thoughts with Chris on how to bring jobs to Delaware. 

Video: Senator Coons voices support for national infrastructure jobs bill

Speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Senator Coons voiced his support for the Rebuild America Jobs Act, which was introduced Monday to help address America’s jobs crisis by investing in America’s crumbling infrastructure. Senator Coons is an original cosponsor to the bill.