AEM Applauds Introduction of Infrastructure Improvement Bill

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has announced its approval of the introduction of legislation that calls for an immediate assessment of America’s infrastructure and a plan to ensure it meets current and future needs.

The National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2006 (S. 2388) would establish a national commission to conduct a study of “all matters relating to the infrastructure of the United States.” The study would address the aging conditions of public infrastructure and the need for repair, focus on improvements that support long-term economic development and examine innovative financing/investment options. It was introduced by Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Sen. Hilary Clinton (D-NY).

“This study is an important step in focusing attention on the state of our nation’s roads bridges, dams and other public works, and the need to address adequate funding mechanisms to maintain and rebuild our country’s infrastructure,” says Gerry Shaheen, 2006 AEM chairman and group president of Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill. “We encourage Congress to pass this legislation to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue and the important role a vital infrastructure plays in our daily lives at work and leisure.”

In introducing the legislation, sponsors cited U.S. Department of Transportation figures that poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists $54 billion annually in repairs and operating costs and that Americans spend 3.5 billion hours per year stuck in traffic, at a cost of $63.2 billion. They also noted Environmental Protection Agency estimates that $390 billion is needed over the next 20 years to address wastewater plant needs and that an estimated $10.1 billion is needed over the next 12 years to address all non-federal dams.