Napolitano’s Statement on President Trump’s Infrastructure Plan

(WASHINGTON, DC) Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte) released the following statement after President Trump unveiled his infrastructure plan:

“This infrastructure plan is a sham, which amounts to a toll tax that San Gabriel Valley residents do not want and can ill afford. Our roads, bridges, and railroads are not for sale.

“President Trump is calling for only $200 billion in new federal funding, while cutting $168 billion from widely-popular, existing transportation programs, as outlined in his budget proposal released today. It makes absolutely no sense to create new burdensome programs for local communities while taking away from vital projects that do not require tolls. The Trump plan also eliminates important local hire requirements in Southern California—where 80% of infrastructure projects are funded by local taxpayers—in order to allow out-of-state labor to take our jobs.

“We all agree we must modernize our roads, bridges, schools, airports, sea ports, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and our energy infrastructure. We can accomplish this goal and create millions of good-paying jobs without crippling our public transit system, weakening environmental protections, or lowering labor standards, as President Trump’s plan would do. The president’s long-awaited infrastructure plan is a huge disappointment and a non-starter.”

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