The U.S. Senate Shows Courage and Leadership With Push for Long-Term, Full-Investment Highway Bill This Year

News provided by

Laborers' International Union of North America

Jul 29, 2014, 07:29 ET

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Terry O'Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers' International Union of North America – made the following statement today regarding passage of an amendment in the U.S. Senate pushing for a long-term, full-investment Highway Bill this year:

The U.S. Senate has shown the courage America needs to begin making our roads and bridges safe and to protect good jobs. With an overwhelming, bi-partisan majority the chamber sent the message that it is not acceptable for Congress to continue to duct-tape our transportation infrastructure crisis.

It is up to the House to responsibly deal with the crisis now, rather than kicking the can down the road. As lawmakers consider the revised bill, they should note that one in four of our nation's bridges continues to be deficient or obsolete. Poor road conditions, such as potholes, continue to contribute to a third of traffic fatalities, representing about 10,000 lives needlessly lost each year. And creation of tens of thousands of desperately needed good jobs doing desperately needed work is stalled. The House should pass the Senate bill.

Congress has time this year to pass a long-term, full-investment Highway Bill that will save lives and strengthen the nation. Lawmakers have several viable options to choose from and the strong vote in favor of the bi-partisan Boxer- Carper-Corker Amendment gives reason to be hopeful.

The men and women who build and maintain America's roads and bridges and motorists who deal daily with deteriorating and unsafe surface transportation applaud the leadership of Senators Boxer, Carper and Corker.

They rightly believe we are America the great – not America the crumbling.

The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers' International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.

See LIUNA's campaign to press for long term, full investment in our roads and bridges – including radio ads, billboards, online action and the "Getting Schooled in Infrastructure" school bus tour – at www.FixOurBridges.org. For up-to-the-minute information on the "Getting Schooled" tour, follow LIUNA on twitter @LIUNA.

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SOURCE Laborers' International Union of North America