Press Release - Business Leaders and Organized Labor Agree: Congress Must Pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

As noted in Axios yesterday, "an array of business leaders…from UPS to Siemens to Raytheon…want the deal to succeed". And, a plethora of labor groups have come out in support of the agreement as well. This comes on the heels of polling that show Americans of both parties – including 60% of Republicans – support the agreement.

This historic investment will create good paying jobs, grow local economies, and deliver real results to the American people. That's why business leaders and organized labor – and the American people – are in agreement: Congress must pass the bipartisan infrastructure agreement.

You can read more in Axios here, and below are statements of support from across business and labor:

Organized Labor

Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) General President Terry O'Sullivan: "The bipartisan infrastructure deal announced by the White House is a bold and transformational investment in our nation's infrastructure that will put Laborers to work and help union families build better lives. The $1.2 trillion package will add significantly to existing investment and create hundreds of thousands of good union jobs building our roads and bridges, upgrading our drinking water and power systems, and improving infrastructure resiliency. These investments will bolster our economic well-being and secure our infrastructure for years to come. LIUNA commends the vision of the Biden Administration and the bipartisan group of legislators who have joined with the President to craft an infrastructure package that will build and restore our nation. The collaboration and cooperation from both parties on this historic legislation is both a testament to the importance of infrastructure and an encouraging sign that lawmakers can come together on issues vital to our way of life. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and members of Congress for passage of this legislation and to ensure each and every job created through public spending has the strongest of labor protections." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Greg Regan: "Bold, federal investments in our nation's infrastructure — the kind that will put millions of people to work rebuilding our country and economy — have long been a top priority for transportation workers and their unions. The announcement today that President Biden and a bipartisan group of Senators have reached an infrastructure deal looks like a significant step forward in meeting the long-neglected needs of our nation's infrastructure and the working families who rely on it. While much work remains to finalize this agreement, TTD looks forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress to ensure that every dollar spent under this agreed upon framework is paired with the strongest labor protections possible that guarantee good jobs and strong worker protections for the Americans who design, build, operate, and maintain our infrastructure." [Statement, 6/24/21]

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): "Today's announcement of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework represents a historic investment in our economy and is a vital step forward in meeting President Biden's Build Back Better vision. This deal isn't just an investment in critical infrastructure like roads and bridges. It will modernize our electrical grid, building thousands of miles of new transmission lines. It infuses more than $14 billion into the electric vehicle industry, paired with a 500,000 electric vehicle charging network to fuel them, that will put tens of thousands of IBEW electricians on the job. This framework will also be the biggest federal investment in public transit and passenger rail in history. But most importantly for the members of the IBEW and working people everywhere, it is imperative that this framework becomes an investment in good-paying, blue-collar union jobs. To make this a reality, the IBEW stands ready to work with members of Congress to ensure that this investment is coupled with strong labor protections that build worker power and protect the standards that create and sustain good-paying union jobs. Only then can we meet this moment to achieve President Biden's promise to rebuild America's middle class. I want to commend President Biden and lawmakers from both parties who were able to cross the aisle and work together to craft a framework that will ensure our economy remains competitive and on the cutting edge of the 21st century. The men and women of the IBEW are ready to get to work building our economy back better." [Statement, 6/25/21]

United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway: "Yesterday's compromise gets us closer than ever to enacting a historic infrastructure program. After so many years of inaction from the White House, it is a welcome relief that the Biden administration is clearly committed to getting this done, but there is much more work to do before we can celebrate. This agreement is just one piece of what we hope will be a many-faceted approach to rebuilding our nation. Infrastructure is more than just iron pipes, steel beams and cement blocks. It's the teachers who educate our children and it's the nurses who care for our aging parents. The final plans Congress approves must take a wider view of our national infrastructure than we have in the past so that we see lasting improvements in our quality of life for decades to come. The COVID-19 crisis should be a wake-up call for those in Congress who in the past have failed to look at infrastructure as a long-term, big-picture issue. The pandemic made it clear that we must invest heavily both in restoring our nation's manufacturing capacity and in keeping the American people safe. That means making sure we never have to look overseas for essential goods. It means training new generations of workers so we have Americans ready to make the products we need. And it means supporting union organizing so that we make sure the jobs we create are the kinds of jobs that can support families and communities." [Statement, 6/25/21]

North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey: "The bipartisan infrastructure framework that the White House and key Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed to yesterday represents a significant step forward towards Building Back Better. This deal has the potential to play a vital role in generating family-sustaining, middle class careers for construction workers across America. We commend the Biden-Harris Administration and these committed lawmakers for putting politics aside and working together to craft this deal." [Statement, 6/25/21]

SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers): "Today's announcement is an important breakthrough towards tackling our country's crumbling infrastructure. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the Biden administration to finalize this agreement and pass a broader package that encompasses all elements of the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. By working on these two packages simultaneously, we believe we will meet the needs of our country, create good paying union jobs, combat climate change, and revitalize the economy equitably. We stand committed to fulfilling President Biden's mission of making our federal government a model employer by ensuring that every dollar allocated towards infrastructure complies with strong labor standards that guarantees good jobs and worker protections. This is an essential action the federal government must take to achieve a positive return on investment for taxpayers and our communities." [Statement, 6/25/21]

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: For too long, lip service has been paid to infrastructure without making the investments we need. It's time to build. The bipartisan infrastructure framework secured by President Biden would be the single greatest infrastructure investment in history and has the potential to create good union jobs and middle-class opportunity. Investing in roads, bridges, transit, rail, climate change mitigation, electric vehicles, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, resilient transmission lines and more would make America a stronger, more competitive nation. The final legislation must ensure infrastructure jobs have full labor protections and nothing in the bill can be used as a backdoor to privatization. We urge Congress and the administration to continue working together to achieve a long-overdue infrastructure breakthrough. And that must be followed quickly by the rest of the multitrillion-dollar Build Back Better Agenda, including the American Families Plan and the PRO Act. [Statement, 6/29/21]

International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers: The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers welcomes news of the infrastructure framework agreed to by the White House and a bipartisan group of Senators. This is a positive step forward and a reminder that compromise and collaboration is still possible on America's important issues. Our union represents 128,000 construction and fabrication workers across North America. Ironworkers see firsthand the terrible state of much of our country's infrastructure. We have the skills and will to fix it, but for decades persistent inaction at the hands of the federal government has stood in the way. The Biden administration has moved beyond these years of inaction and forged a bipartisan coalition to do so. This robust framework would fix many of the problems facing America's infrastructure system and put Americans to work doing so. Its investment in roads, bridges, transit, water, and airports far eclipse previous infrastructure legislation and would lay the foundation of the next generation's economic wellbeing. As this legislation takes shape, it is critical that it include the strong labor standards found in the American Jobs Plan. These standards, which have bipartisan support, would help ensure that the bill creates good union jobs. We urge Congress to complete and pass this legislation quickly. The need to invest in our nation's infrastructure is urgent. Both chambers should pursue every avenue available to get a robust infrastructure package across the finish line. [Statement, 6/28/21]

International Union of Operating Engineers General President James T. Callahan:
"The breakthrough infrastructure deal agreed to by President Biden and a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has been a long time coming and is welcome news to the working men and women of the Operating Engineers who make their living building up America. It is a bold plan to rebuild our road, rail and transit systems, fortify our power grid, expand high-speed Internet, and deliver clean drinking water to every community. History shows that infrastructure spending is the best return on investment we can make as a country. The job creating potential alone of the $1.2 trillion plan will provide a pathway to the middle class for millions of American working families. The International Union of Operating Engineers is committed to working with the Administration and Members of Congress to see this deal passed with bipartisan majorities and to ensure that prevailing wages and strong labor standards are applied to every job created." [Statement]

Business Groups

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clarke: "Our nation's economic strength and long-term competitiveness depend on a robust and modern infrastructure. We applaud the White House and G21 group of senators for agreeing on a framework to invest in critical, physical infrastructure. We will continue to work with all members of Congress to get this bill passed and signed into law." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Business Roundtable: "Business Roundtable commends Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and the White House for their leadership and persistence in achieving bipartisan consensus on a framework for infrastructure legislation. The proposal would generate historic investment in our highways, water, energy and communications infrastructure, which is key to bolstering the economic recovery, sustaining jobs and ensuring the U.S. is competitive over the long run," said Business Roundtable President & CEO Joshua Bolten. "Bipartisan solutions advanced through a regular order process would also help ensure durable policy changes and allow responsible regulatory streamlining. While many details remain to be resolved, this proposal is the right approach. Business Roundtable endorses the bipartisan framework, and we will put the full weight of our advocacy behind advancing it. We are strongly supportive of the scope of this bipartisan framework to ensure our infrastructure can meet the needs and demands of our country and its dynamic economy for generations to come," said Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of Bechtel Group, Inc., and Chair of the Business Roundtable Infrastructure Committee. "Today's announcement is great news. We look forward to partnering with Congress and the Administration to promote strong support for bipartisan infrastructure legislation." [Statement, 6/24/21]

National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay: "NRF is encouraged by a bipartisan group of Senators and the Biden Administration finding agreement on a framework for an infrastructure package. Infrastructure has always had strong support across the aisle, so crafting a bipartisan pathway for this essential investment is the surest way to achieve progress. Now more than ever, the U.S. needs significant investment to ensure we remain competitive on a global basis. The retail industry relies on our nation's transportation network to move billions of dollars' worth of merchandise every day to warehouses, distribution centers and stores, and ultimately to consumers' front doors. The ongoing supply chain disruptions that retailers and others are continuing to face highlight the need for investment and reform. As witnessed by the ongoing supply chain challenges facing retailers and others, a major infrastructure package needs to focus on improving the overall system, and prioritize safety, efficiency, resiliency and building for tomorrow's needs. We need to ensure that the legislation includes sustainable funding mechanisms without overburdening the businesses that are leading our economy out of the pandemic." [Statement, 6/24/21]

National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons: "This is how we build to win. This shows that governing with big ideas is still possible in America. Bold infrastructure investment will secure a better future for our nation and industry and help more Americans reach their full potential. And building it on a foundation of bipartisanship and consensus will help restore faith in our institutions—and prove that America can still bridge party divides to do great things. We look forward to reviewing this proposal with our members as more details are shared so we can provide meaningful feedback to policymakers. And manufacturers commend this group of lawmakers for their commitment to forging this potentially historic agreement." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Consumer Brands Association Vice President of supply chain and logistics Tom Madrecki: "The consumer packaged goods industry (CPG), responsible for one-fifth of all freight in the United States, depends heavily on our nation's highways and railways to deliver essential products to Americans across the country. We are pleased to see that the Biden administration and members of Congress are prioritizing solutions over politics and have come to an initial agreement. We hope that rhetoric becomes reality in the immediate future. The CPG industry needs dependable roads, bridges and railways to ensure people can reliably get the products they need – both now and for the future. America must ready its infrastructure for extreme events like the pandemic, build highway infrastructure to support electric vehicle fleets and expand broadband access to match the country's increasing reliance on e-commerce. As the legislation moves forward, Congress must also consider establishing a federal office of supply chain, as outlined in President Biden's American Jobs Plan, as well as addressing the ongoing trucker shortage with updated driver age and truck weight regulations." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Senior Vice President of government and industry relations Kip Eideberg: "Equipment manufacturers applaud the steadfast leadership provided by President Biden, the G21 group of senators, and others closely involved in crafting the current bipartisan infrastructure framework. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the 2.8 million men and women of this industry have long called for a transformative investment in our nation's physical infrastructure so they can continue to build, feed, and power the world, and are pleased to see such important progress being announced today. However, the job is not done. Despite what skeptics say, we can and must get this deal all the way across the finish line in a bipartisan manner. Equipment manufacturers urge lawmakers, staff, stakeholders, and the American public to remain positive and focused on getting this generational bill passed and signed into law." [Statement, 6/25/21]

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) President Jean Louis Briaud, PhD, P.E.: "The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is encouraged by today's bipartisan agreement on an infrastructure framework that includes over $550 billion in new investments to revitalize the nation's roads, transit systems, water infrastructure, and electric grid. These investments will help address our nation's ten-year, $2.59 trillion infrastructure funding gap that was identified in ASCE's 2021 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, which assigned our nation's infrastructure a grade of 'C-' across 17 categories, most of which are addressed in this plan. Deteriorating infrastructure is costing each American household on average $3,300 per year if swift action is not taken. This bipartisan framework could mitigate those losses. American families and businesses are counting on Congress to work together to deliver safe roads and bridges, clean drinking water, reliable electricity, and climate-resilient communities.We commend this group of Senators for their leadership, and urge the full Congress to act quickly on the agreed upon framework and pass legislation next month." [Statement, 6/24/21]

American Soybean Association President Kevin Scott: "ASA has long championed many of the investments in this package, including ports, waterways, highways and bridges, and broadband. We are thankful to see these issues prioritized and that the plan avoids tax provisions that would negatively impact farmers and their families, such as drastic changes to stepped-up basis," said Kevin Scott, ASA president and soybean farmer from South Dakota." [Statement, 6/25/21]

Airports Council International – North America President Kevin Burke: "It is great to see bipartisan agreement about the pressing need to upgrade America's airports. For too long U.S. airports have been underfunded and unable to make many of the terminal, runway, and access improvements needed to keep pace with an increasing number of passengers and flights at their facilities. With airports facing over $115 billion in documented infrastructure needs over the next five years, the $25 billion in new investments called for in today's agreement set the stage for major upgrades at our airports that will help the economic recovery and improve the customer experience in communities nationwide." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Aluminum Association President Tom Dobbins: "Infrastructure matters to every family, community and manufacturer in the United States. Today's bipartisan announcement is an incredibly positive step toward much-needed investment in our nation's electric grid, roads, bridges, transit hubs, vehicle charging stations and other critical infrastructure needs. Not only does U.S. aluminum depend on reliable infrastructure to ship billions of pounds of aluminum across the country each year, the metal itself is essential to making these planned investments a reality. For example, aluminum is the most widely used material in modern electricity transmission and distribution systems. Lawmakers should also work to shore up U.S. recycling systems as part of any major infrastructure spending. Increased recycling of materials, which has been in decline in the U.S. recent years, will help to make domestic supply chains more secure and resilient. We hope today's announcement is a sign of things to come. And we encourage Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House to negotiate in good faith -- and compromise as necessary -- to address the major issues confronting our country." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Business Forward President Jim Doyle: "President Biden has brought America together, just like he promised. This bipartisan plan addresses longstanding problems and invests for the future. It also looks out for our most vulnerable communities. Its principal pay-for, reducing the "tax gap," is years overdue: The first step in paying for "build back better" should be to ensure Americans that have evaded taxes pay what they owe." [Statement, 6/24/21]

Small Business for America's Future Senior Advisor Rhett Buttle: "Today's deal between the White House and a bipartisan group of senators to support legislation that would invest $1 trillion in the country's infrastructure is a promising development for small business. We are encouraged that a bipartisan group of lawmakers and the White House are making progress on this important legislation and look forward to reviewing the details of the plan. Small business owners are eager for our leaders to pass an infrastructure plan that will help Main Street businesses recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. In Small Business for America's Future's recent national survey of small business owners, 80% support the American Jobs Plan and 72% say the infrastructure investments it represents will help small businesses. We recognize this deal doesn't include everything that is needed to fully get our country on track, but it is a big step forward. Small Business for America's Future will continue to work with policymakers to ensure small business owners, their workers and communities have everything they need to build back from Covid-19, including lowering prescription drug costs, a fairer tax system that favors Main Street rather than large corporations, access to capital for entrepreneurs of color, and support systems for paid leave and caregiving. Small business owners are the backbone of the nation's economy, driving economic growth and job creation, and as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, we need investment that will strengthen Main Street. We hope our lawmakers will come together to make that happen." [Statement, 6/24/21]