Washington Business Summer 2019 | Washington Business | Page 27

federal focus
Every dollar invested in essential infrastructure generates $1.50 in
economic output. That’s a solid return on investment. Making the total
commitment identified in the report would result in an estimated 706,000 to
777,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate hundreds of billions of dollars
in new economic activity.
Washington’s economy has a global reach. Fifteen Fortune 500 companies
are headquartered here, along with more than half a million small businesses.
Goods worth more than $79 billion move through Washington ports annually.
The state is estimated to contribute more than $300 billion to the U.S.
economy. With just 2 percent of the nation’s population, Washington accounts
for 5 percent of its export activity. Failure to make the necessary investments
threatens the state’s nation-leading economic vitality.
Maintaining Washington’s infrastructure, making the investments that
connect Washington businesses with the world and with each other, is of
national importance and the federal investment is critical. As “Building the
Economy” demonstrates, state leaders know what needs to be done and are
prepared to act.

“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.”
— Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, and Richard Trumka, president of
the AFL-CIO
news.gallup.com/poll/226961/news-public-backs-infrastructure-spending.aspx
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/21/
we-need-action-infrastructure-not-more-talk/
www.awb.org/files/library/2019-infrastructure-report-two-pager.pdf
www.awb.org/files/library/2019-infrastructure-report.pdf
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