PENNSYLVANIA — Yesterday, PA AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale, State Representative Patty Kim and Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick praised President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan, calling it a crucial turning point for the nation, state, region and city. The local leaders are now calling on Congress to not let this ‘once in a generation opportunity for Pennsylvania’ go to waste — and to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill soon.
Capital-Star photo by John L. Micek
Penn Capital-Star: ‘These are issues that affect our families’: Pa. Dems call on Congress to pass infrastructure bill
Hartwick, now a Democratic Dauphin County commissioner said Thursday, as he and state Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, and Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Richard Bloomingdale gathered on the banks of the Susquehanna River to call on Congress to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill now pending before the U.S. House.
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“We have all the projects backed up that will have resources, and we can upgrade our systems,’ Kim, a former member of Harrisburg City Council, said.
In addition to that road and bridge funding, the state also is set to receive $2.8 billion over a five-year period to improve public transportation options statewide. That money is critical for strap-hangers around the Harrisburg region who depend on public transit to get to work, Kim said.
Bloomingdale, the labor leader, stressed the economic impact of the infrastructure bill, which would create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, and serve as a springboard to the middle class for those workers.
“This amount of investment is nothing short of historic,” Bloomingdale said. “It’s comparable to the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s, which led to an incredible expansion of the American economy.”
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CBS21: Highlighting the positive impact for PA, local officials want Infrastructure deal passed
Dauphin County, PA — Local officials are calling on Congress to act on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, pushing to get it passed.
The deal has advanced to the U.S. House, but some want to see it make its way to President Joe Biden’s desk, emphasizing the impact the deal could have on Pennsylvania.
“Unfortunately, infrastructure has taken a backseat for decades and the backlog of need has hit a tipping point,” Dauphin Co. Commissioner George Hartwick said. “For commuters driving to work, to the student logging into class, or a child drinking a glass of water, Dauphin County’s investment in infrastructure is an investment in our everyday lives.”
PA AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale said the potential deal could be historically beneficial for the Keystone State, “Millions of pounds of commerce move through the state of Pennsylvania.”
“That is creating a lot of stress on our highway system,” Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Executive Vice President Robert Latham told CBS 21 News’ Samantha York, sharing the sentiment. “What we can do here, also, is put people back to work.”
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FOX43: PA State Officials Talk Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
Pennsylvania state officials met in Harrisburg today to discuss how Congress’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill could affect local communities. The press conference took place at the Walnut Street Bridge on City Island. Just this week, the House approved the democrat’s plan to draft a $3.5- trillion bill with social priorities like child care, medicare expansion and climate crisis funding. In the meeting today, Pennsylvania officials said they hope the deal will create many new jobs and establish better social programs.
“Dauphin county and its elected leaders have worked together to be able to put ourselves in a position to be able to succeed. Now we’re asking congress to be able to act in order to make sure where the rubber meets the road– at the local level we’re able to utilize these dollars put people back to work and ensure that we have the necessary infrastructure to compete in a global economy and also to be able to protect our families and our communities.” The vote in congress is planned for late September.
ABC27: Local Leaders Praise Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
The county commissioners held a news conference today on City Island where you can clearly see that only half the Walnut Street Bridge still stands. The other half was ripped away by an ice jam in 1996. So far rebuilding it has been unaffordable and there are plenty of other projects that need serious funding that the federal government could provide.
“There’s aging water and sewer infrastructure that existed in almost all of the older communities throughout the county. A lot of the sewer systems were put in 70 years ago with technology that still have terra cotta.” And they’d also like to provide more space in Harrisburg airport so we could handle more cargo flights.
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