Washington Business Summer 2019 | Washington Business | Page 26

federal focus
divided Congress. In late spring, President Trump, House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed on a
$2 trillion target for federal infrastructure spending. Then, as things do
in D.C., the agreement fell apart and talks stopped.
It’s time they started again. More important, it’s time to deliver
the goods.
Business and labor express unified support for the $2 trillion
investment. In an op-ed urging action, Thomas J. Donohue, president
and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Richard Trumka,
president of the AFL-CIO, wrote, “As the heads of the nation’s leading
business and labor organizations, we don’t always see eye to eye on
things, but on this, we are in lockstep: Rebuilding and modernizing
our nation’s crumbling infrastructure will benefit every business,
every worker and every family in the United States. It will make every
community safer, more resilient, healthy and secure. It will create good
jobs, boost productivity, sharpen our nation’s competitive edge and
ensure our current and future economic success.”
“Building the Economy” provides the blueprint for targeting
infrastructure investments in Washington to get the best possible
return. The report updates a 2017 inventory compiled by the Association
of Washington Business, Washington State Association of Counties,
Washington Public Ports Association, and Association of Washington
Cities. Unsurprisingly, in the two years since that report has been issued,
demand for infrastructure investment has increased. The challenges
have grown more urgent and compelling.
“We know that federal officials understand the importance of
rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and we remain optimistic they
26 association of washington business
will take action soon,” said AWB president Kris Johnson when the study
was released. “This report and the unprecedented partnership between
our four organizations demonstrates that Washington state has laid the
groundwork to act quickly and make smart use of resources when the
opportunity arises.”
As roads, bridges and sewer systems age and deteriorate, as population
growth imposes stress on structures designed for a smaller state and
smaller communities, most people recognize the need. Last year, Gallup
reported, “Americans across party lines broadly support spending more
public dollars on infrastructure.”
The urgency is warranted here in Washington. The American Society
of Civil Engineers recently assigned Washington a “C” grade on its 2019
Infrastructure Report Card. That’s not a “good enough to get by” grade.
ASCE describes C as “mediocre, requires attention.”
The national Business Roundtable also says the “federal government
must take a leadership role in renewing investment in the nation’s
infrastructure systems.”
The updated “Building the Economy” report draws on existing data
to tell the story. Examples of priority improvements include dredging
waterways, expanding highway capacity, upgrading wastewater and
sewer systems, increasing access to broadband, and maintaining and
expanding irrigation systems.
The partnership among cities, counties, ports and the private sector
demonstrates the shared commitment to setting priorities and getting
the best value for the dollar. It’s also important to point out that the
report calls for regulatory reform to streamline permitting and expedite
project completion.