WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell introduced today legislation designed to fund critical interstate transportation infrastructure projects like the Brent Spence Bridge in northern Kentucky. The Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Act -- if enacted -- would authorize funding for interstate bridge projects such as the Brent Spence Bridge through spending offsets provided by the repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act.

The Davis-Bacon Act artificially inflates labor costs on federal government-contracted public works projects. It costs the government extra money by requiring government contractors to pay beyond what are considered competitive wages in the free market for government work. As a result, it makes federal government-contracted projects more expensive than private-sector projects in the same market.

“The Brent Spence Bridge is over 50 years old, and like many infrastructure projects across America, this bridge is congested and potentially dangerous. The Federal Highway Administration has deemed the Brent Spence Bridge ‘functionally obsolete’ and that’s why it’s long past time to finally rebuild this bridge,” Senator McConnell said. “The Davis-Bacon Act is legislation from the Great Depression era that is even older and more obsolete than the Brent Spence Bridge itself, it needs to be repealed.”

Last year, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that over 10 years, repealing the Davis-Bacon Act would save the federal government some $13 billion. The $13 billion could be much better spent building a number of interstate bridges that are sorely needed in communities across America, like in northern Kentucky. The fund could also be used to advance the I-69 bridge project in the planning stages in Henderson, or the I-65 bridges project already underway in Louisville.

Senator McConnell’s bill would not raise taxes, it would not add to the federal deficit, and it would not authorize tolling.

“This is a commonsense proposal, and today I’m calling on state, local, and federal lawmakers to get behind it,” Senator McConnell said.