Washington, D.C. - Today, in advance of President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress tomorrow evening, Rep. David Price (D-NC) renewed his call for infrastructure investments as a way to create jobs now and ensure our economic success.

"Infrastructure investments are the key to our economic success and should be a central focus of President Obama's jobs plan," Rep. Price said. "At a time of continued economic uncertainty, investing in infrastructure is a win-win for the American people: it creates well paying jobs today and lays the foundations for tomorrow's economic prosperity."

During the recent congressional district work period, Rep. Price held numerous meetings with state and local government leaders, small business owners, labor and industry organizations, and community groups in the Fourth District, and all were united in their calls for greater federal investment in local infrastructure projects. Just this week, Rep. Price hosted a roundtable discussion with state government officials and representatives from various construction-related industries, which have been hit disproportionately hard by the economic downturn.

"When everybody from the Chamber of Commerce to organized labor to local mayors are calling on Congress to invest in roads, bridges, and schools in our communities, one would think the response would be a no-brainer," Rep Price said. "I'd like to see the President use the bully pulpit to make it clear that Republican opponents are being penny-wise and pound-foolish by undermining efforts to build the infrastructure we need to sustain and grow a 21st Century economy."

In the current Congress, Rep. Price has advocated for investments in high speed rail projects, including the high-speed corridor connecting Raleigh to Charlotte, even as Republicans have attempted to rescind the investments Congress has already made through the Recovery Act and other measures.

"High-speed rail is an integral part of forward-thinking transportation strategies because it reduces dependence on foreign oil, relieves congestion on roads and because rail is environmentally sustainable," Rep. Price said. "In addition to these long-term benefits, planned high-speed rail investments could create 20,000 jobs in North Carolina alone in the near term."

Rep. Price has also urged leadership to prioritize reauthorization of our nation's surface transportation and aviation programs, which can create millions of jobs, particularly in the construction sector. However, after pushing legislation that slashed key investments in roads and bridges and rescinded billions for high-speed rail, Republicans seem set to reject these common-sense proposals.

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