In Bipartisan Letter, Mayors Support House Leaders' Infrastructure Framework

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), led by President Bryan Barnett, Mayor of Rochester Hills, MI, pledged support for a House leaders' infrastructure framework and offered assistance to help move the legislation forward this year. One week ago, three key House committee chairs released a comprehensive package of infrastructure investments and reforms, called the Moving Forward Framework. In a letter to Congressional leaders, Barnett and a bipartisan group of mayors endorsed the framework, urging Congress to work with local leaders to advance the package through the legislative process.

"American mayors are grappling daily with a national infrastructure system that is falling further and further behind," said Mayor of Rochester Hills (MI) and USCM President Bryan K. Barnett.  "We are acting locally, but meeting this challenge requires a stronger partnership with the federal government. We're thrilled that these House leaders have responded to our call to action, and we are ready to work with them and others in Congress to move this important issue forward."

In their February 5, 2020 letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (NJ) House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (OR) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (MA), these mayoral leaders underscored how infrastructure is an issue that can improve people's lives and bring parties together:

"There is no doubt that you heard the voice of America's mayors on our many infrastructure needs – your framework speaks to many of the issues we have identified. We certainly know better than anyone the challenges facing American cities and the incredible opportunity this framework provides to improve people's lives, through sustained and growing investment in our infrastructure networks and facilities. As Republicans and Democrats, we believe building the nation's infrastructure transcends the partisan divide and strengthens American's faith in our leadership."

Infrastructure is a major element of the USCM's recently-released, election-year policy agenda – the Mayor's 2020 Vision for America – and the mayors applaud the House framework for including so many of the solutions that mayors have called on Congress to pass, including "localizing" how dollars are distributed and making climate a greater focus.  "We are so pleased that our broad policy agenda offering bipartisan solutions in the infrastructure area aligns so closely with the elements of your framework," the mayors wrote.

In closing, the mayors pledged to work directly with Congress to move the issue ahead. "In addition to indicating our strong support for this framework," they wrote, "we also want to convey our willingness to engage with you and your committees as the legislative process progresses. And, we will help you make the case that this framework speaks directly to the needs of people in their local areas, be it cities, towns or counties."

Full text of the letter can be found here.

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors

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