State Leaders, Economists Endorse Hillary Clinton Infrastructure Plan

State Leaders, Economists Endorse Clinton Infrastructure Plan, Touting Its Impact on Jobs and Income Growth

Yesterday, Hillary for America released the details of Hillary Clinton’s $275 billion plan to create jobs and raise incomes by rebuilding America’s infrastructure. Her comprehensive down payment on U.S. infrastructure development would boost direct federal investment in infrastructure by $250 billion over the next five years, create a $25 billion national infrastructure bank which supports up to an additional $225 billion in federally supported investment, and commit to connecting all households in America to high-speed Internet by 2020, among other proposals.

Today, key leaders from local and state government, economic circles, academia and the private sector are speaking in unison: Clinton’s plan would boost wages, incomes and productivity and set the U.S. economy on course for long-term growth thanks to key investments in roads, bridges, energy, water, broadband, new technologies and transit.

Dan Malloy, Governor of Connecticut:
“A modern transportation system is key to Connecticut’s economic future. In partnership with President Obama and his administration, Connecticut is -- finally -- moving aggressively toward a best-in-class transportation system. In order to keep that progress going, we will need the next president to prioritize investments in our infrastructure. I applaud Hillary Clinton for recognizing the need for investment and putting forward a comprehensive plan to revitalize our nation's roads, bridges, and rails. I am confident that Hillary Clinton will be a strong partner for Connecticut, as we work to move our transportation system - and our economy - forward.”

Ed Rendell, former Governor of Pennsylvania:
“A late bus can cost someone their job, and a flat tire blown out by a pothole can make a big dent in someone’s bank account. When I was Mayor of Philadelphia and then Governor of Pennsylvania, I saw firsthand how infrastructure investments -- or a lack thereof -- could directly impact people’s ability to achieve economic security. We need big, bold, national solutions to address decaying infrastructure, and Hillary Clinton’s plan would set us on a path to a prosperous future -- a future in which our economy thrives on the back of good-paying jobs, consumer gains, and higher wages and savings for middle and working class Americans. It is creative and well thought out and it’s the exact blueprint we need.”

Michael Coleman, Mayor of Columbus, Ohio:
“I support Hillary Clinton’s infrastructure plan. In this changing economy, we need to invest in transportation to connect our citizens to their work, their schools, and their families and our companies to markets around the world. Secretary Clinton’s plan does that. She will invest in our roadway and local transit system, and provide more funding for freight and passenger rail. Columbus is a freight rail powerhouse, but is the largest city in America without passenger rail. We need a reliable, Federal partner to change that. Our JET Task Force showed us the importance of air travel to our economy. Hillary Clinton’s plan will provide more resources to airports so they can continue to be economic drivers for our communities. Infrastructure is the backbone of our economy and Hillary Clinton’s plan invests in our future and creates thousands of middle class jobs.”

Alan Krueger, former Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers:
“This plan is a win-win. In the short-term it will create more middle-class jobs and in the long-term it will raise productivity, improve our competitiveness, and raise pay.”

Austan Goolsbee, former Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers:
“Hillary Clinton’s plan to substantially expand U.S. infrastructure investments would modernize America’s economic backbone and create a foundation for long-term economic success. It’s important. It helps raise incomes for middle- and working-class Americans, saves consumer money with cheaper products and fewer auto repairs and opens access to job opportunities and shorter commute times. It’s a key part of a serious economic growth strategy and a stark contrast to the Republican candidates who keep recycling the discredited idea that tax cuts for the wealthy will fix our problems and make us grow.”

Laura Tyson, former Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers:
“In proposing a $275 billion infrastructure plan, Hillary Clinton is focusing on an issue on which most economists agree: boosting infrastructure investment is critical for our long-term economic success. Her planwould put people to work rebuilding America -- creating new jobs with good pay and boosting future wages -- while making much needed investments in the nation’s transportation and public transit infrastructure, its energy and water infrastructure and its internet access infrastructure -- all of which are basic building blocks for a 21st century economy. Her leadership on this issue deserves support from all corners -- business and labor, Democrats and Republicans, and anyone who wants the U.S. to be the most competitive place to do business in the world.”

Jared Bernstein, Economist and Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
“In comparison to what’s passing for policy discourse these days in the campaigns, you’ve really got to appreciate the detail with which Clinton’s plan was drawn up. This is an evidence-based approach to policy making, and I urge you to compare that to what we’re hearing from the Republican camp on infrastructure: cut the gas tax to allow states to innovate (Rubio, Kasich), ‘rebuild our infrastructure’ with no plan (Trump), ‘remove barriers to developing and approving additional national pipelines’ (Cruz), and approve Keystone (Bush).” (Washington Post)

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor at Harvard Business School and author of MOVE: Putting America’s Infrastructure Back in the Lead:
“Hillary Clinton’s bold, inspirational plan could unite America behind smart investments that benefit every sector and region -- rural and urban, private sector and public officials, small businesses and large employers. It is grounded in facts, realistic about the magnitude of national problems, and pragmatic about action, while holding the promise of ushering in a new era of American strength. Secretary Clinton recognizes that infrastructure is ultimately a people and family issue, shaping the lives we lead today and our economic opportunities for the future.”

Alan Blinder, Princeton University economist:
“Sometimes being penny-wise today is being pound-foolish about tomorrow. We all know from personal experience that America's infrastructure--including airports, rail beds, bridges, water projects and much more--is woefully inadequate, not even close to ‘world class.’ Yet, despite borrowing costs that are near historic lows, our nation continues to invest far too little in infrastructure. Kudos to Hillary Clinton for aiming to end that incredible myopia. Her plan is big and comprehensive -- not only creating well-paid jobs today but laying the foundations for economic growth and rising incomes in the future.”

Byron Auguste, Managing Director of Opportunity@Work, a civic enterprise based at New America, and former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council:
“Hillary Clinton’s plan would provide a vital boost to the level of U.S. infrastructure investment, which is essential to both our economic competitiveness and our quality of life. Just as importantly, it would make those dollars go much further: tackling the wasteful bottlenecks in our transportation, energy, and water infrastructure, and capitalizing a strategic infrastructure bank to attract new capital into public-private partnerships for complex projects of national economic significance. Most importantly, it would boost wages and upward mobility by giving Americans in cities, exurbs, and rural communities better access to middle-class job opportunities, via improved freight movement, public transit to move people to work, and high-speed broadband.”

Marcia Hale, President of Building America’s Future:
“We are encouraged to see that Secretary Clinton has put together a strong and visionary plan for improving America’s crumbling roads, bridges, rails and transit. Investing in our infrastructure is investing in our nation’s future: it creates meaningful jobs across the country, and allows citizens and businesses to operate at their fullest potential. Building America’s Future is a non-partisan coalition, and we know that there are no Republican bridges or Democratic highways – the state of our infrastructure and transportation affects all Americans, and it currently is an impediment to our economic viability and international competitiveness. While we are looking forward to working with all the presidential candidates -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- to ensure that infrastructure and transportation are at the top of their respective agendas, we hope they take notice of the type of programs that we consider crucial to rebuilding America’s infrastructure, including a proposal for a strategic infrastructure bank, increased investment in water systems, further investment in freight and a focus on internet access for all Americans. We look forward to learning more about the remaining candidates’ positions on this important issue in the months ahead.”

James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers:
“The Clinton plan is a solid blueprint for progress towards closing the infrastructure gap. It is thoughtful and thorough in its goals, while remaining grounded in the reality of our present political and economic environment. Economists and lawmakers from both parties agree – when you invest in infrastructure, you are investing in people. Secretary Clinton rightly touts the job creation numbers – 13,000 jobs created for every $1 billion of infrastructure investment – and highlights the need to keep America competitive globally by keeping it strongly connected nationally. We applaud Secretary Clinton for making transportation infrastructure a centerpiece of her domestic agenda. Our country faces a serious infrastructure crisis and it demands serious leadership to find a solution. Clinton’s plan bypasses the hollow rhetoric of other candidates and presents real ideas to move our country forward. That’s serious leadership.”

John D. Porcari, former Deputy Secretary of Transportation:
“This infrastructure plan is a foundational investment In America’s future. The specific, measurable and merit-based infrastructure initiatives proposed in the plan will provide good-paying, family-supporting jobs in the short term and a stronger, more vibrant economy for our children and their children. This plan’s emphasis on re-engineering processes and policies to deliver projects on time and budget provides confidence that our nation will receive the maximum benefit from these investments. In contrast to the financial burdens that have previously been left to our children, this fully paid for plan is a generational transfer of optimism to the future, one that will provide Americans in every corner of this country the economic and quality of life opportunities that were bequeathed to us by previous generations.”

Aaron Klein, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Department:
“This infrastructure plan would grow our nation’s economy, strengthen our international competitiveness, create quality middle class jobs, and give a real boost to working families by putting time and money back in their pocket. This is a bold, innovative, and realistic plan to fix our nation’s critical infrastructure and put us on the right road to prosperity now and in the future. By prioritizing solutions based on actual problems, not preconceived investment in specific types of infrastructure, the plan is far more likely to succeed. Ideas like the national infrastructure bank, Build American Bonds, and cutting red-tape by speeding up permitting, are likely to result in higher quality, most cost-effective infrastructure being built more quickly.”

Nashua, N.H., Mayor-Elect Jim Donchess:
“Hillary Clinton’s comprehensive infrastructure investment plan will help us here in Nashua. Whether it’s her commitment to the future of passenger rail, her goal of fixing and expanding our roads and bridges, her plan to allocate $25 billion for an infrastructure bank, or her commitment to help solve our heroin crisis, Hillary Clinton is committed to improving our economy and keeping families in southern New Hampshire safe. Hillary’s infrastructure bank could help pay for the capital improvements necessary to bring passenger rail to Nashua.”