The following is a statement by Maria Lehman, P.E., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):
WASHINGTON, DC. – As we heard in the State of the Union address tonight, investing in infrastructure and resilience is good for the economy and will keep our communities thriving. Over 20,000 projects already have funding across the country and the return on investment for the American people is clear. These projects will help protect public safety in the face of increasingly severe weather events and result in reliable water, electricity and broadband, easier access to jobs and opportunity, and ports and airports that can compete in the global economy.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is encouraged that infrastructure remains a top priority for the Biden administration as federal agencies continue to implement the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest federal infrastructure investment in history. Congress has passed some of the most consequential infrastructure legislation in history in the past two years, between the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act – the largest investment in climate resilience in history –, the CHIPS & Science Act, and the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) for 2022.
These laws are already making an impact on the nation’s bridges, water systems, electric grid and more, addressing recommendations from ASCE’s 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure which assigned the nation a cumulative grade of ‘C-’ across 17 categories of infrastructure. Congress has dedicated significant resources and improved efficiencies to raise the infrastructure grades in all 17 categories outlined in the 2021 Report Card. We cannot support a healthy economy on deteriorating infrastructure, and these investments will underpin long-term prosperity for Americans. ASCE applauds the strong focus on infrastructure on both sides of the aisle and we look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the Biden Administration to ensure these resources have a transformative impact on the nation. As President Biden said tonight, “we are just getting started” and the nation’s civil engineers are ready to get to work.
About the American Society of Civil Engineers
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.