State and Local Governments: Let’s Rebuild America

The leading organizations that represent state and local governments — The Council of State Governments, International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Governors Association, National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, National Association of Development Organizations, National Association of County Engineers, National Association of Regional Councils and National Association of State Energy Officials — released the following statement on the forthcoming infrastructure debate in Washington, D.C.:

“We welcome President Trump’s and Congress’ focus on infrastructure. A strong federal-state-local partnership will be critical to delivering a bipartisan infrastructure package that invests in every community.

“States and local governments know firsthand the needs of our communities and invest in infrastructure accordingly. This includes roads and bridges, airports, waterways and ports, transit, passenger rail, water and sewer systems, public facilities, energy, broadband and telecommunications networks.

“Along with other priorities, we look forward to working together to secure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. We welcome a renewed focus on streamlining the federal review process to help deliver urgently needed projects to build the America of the future. Additionally, we must find the correct balance between federal, state and local investments and private sector partnerships.

“We stand ready to work with our federal partners to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure to meet the diverse, complex needs of our residents and ensure American competitiveness.”