Remarks in Cincinnati, Ohio

The President. Well, thank you all very much. It is great to be back in Ohio. We love Ohio. You remember Ohio. Oh, boy. [Laughter] It was supposed to be close; it wasn't close. [Laughter] And so wonderful to speak on the shores of the very magnificent Ohio River.

We're here today to talk about rebuilding our Nation's infrastructure. Isn't it about time?

Audience members. Yes.

The President. Spending money all over the world except here. We don't spend our money here. We spend it all over. And we will do it using American labor, American energy, American iron, aluminum, and steel. We believe in the dignity of work and in the greatness of the American worker. No worker like our American worker.

I want to thank Secretary Perdue, Secretary Zinke, and Administrator Pruitt for joining us today. And you saw what we did with our great Administrator. You saw what happened last week with the so-called Paris accord. We will keep our Nation so great and so strong, and we will never have outside forces telling us what to do and how to do it, believe me. That would have been a huge anchor on our country.

I'm also grateful that Governor Matt Bevin, his wife Glenna, and his family could be here, along with Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton—from Kentucky—great place. Where is Jenean? And Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor from Ohio. Thank you, Mary. Thank you very much.

We're also very excited to be joined by top labor leaders in the United States. I've negotiated with these people for so long. They're tough, but they get the job done. Right? Right? Together, we're going to put our skilled tradespeople back to work.

Sean McGarvey is here with us today, president of the North American Building Trades Union. Sean took part in one of our very first meetings at the White House—that was a great meeting, Sean—and was there with us when we issued the long-awaited approval for the Keystone XL Pipeline, which has started. After years and years of stagnation—they had said that's never going to happen—we got it started. It's going to happen, and it's about 48,000 jobs. It's a big job. And that's just the beginning. We have many other things happening, including, as you know, the Dakota Pipeline, also moving along very rapidly.

We will also welcome Eric Dean, president of the United Ironworkers, and Terry O'Sullivan of the Laborers' International Union of North America. I will proudly say to you all today what I told you and told our labor unions 2 months ago in Washington: As long as I am President, America's labor leaders will always find an open door at the White House. We had a great day. We love our workers.

We're also pleased to be joined by executives from Marathon Petroleum, Bunjee North America, CF Industries, Peabody Energy, Alliance Coal, AK Steel, Nucor Steel, Scotts—oh, you like that company, I guess. [Laughter] Scotts Miracle-Gro, and many others who are ready to help us build the roads, the bridges, the tunnels, and the waterways of tomorrow. And they're currently working very hard. In fact, I brought a couple of the greatest builders in America: Steve Roth of Vornado, Richard LeFrak of LeFrak. Where are you guys? Come here, come here, come here. Come up here, Steve. These people aren't used to this. They like to build. They don't know about this. Get up here, Richard. Two of the great builders if this—of our country. Come here, Richard. I'll watch—oh, I have to do this. Do you want to say anything, fellas?

LeFrak Organization Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard LeFrak. Yes, I'll say something. I'll say——

The President. They're not big talkers. Unless they're behind a desk, they're big talkers. Go ahead, Richard. Go.

Mr. LeFrak. We're all fortunate the have the greatest builder in America, Donald J. Trump, standing behind an infrastructure program, which America sorely needs and is ready to implement. Donald, President Trump, thank you. Thank you very much.

The President. Thank you.

Steve, come. Say—huh? No? Come here. All right. Get off the stage, fellas. [Laughter] That's it. Richard, that was a good job. [Laughter] Thank you. These are great builders. And we're watching, and they're looking over our shoulders. Believe me, they don't need the money. They're not doing it for that. I said, make sure it's going to come in on time, under budget—maybe even ahead of schedule—but we say, on time, under budget. And they're going to be watching and looking over some of the big jobs that we have planned so it gets done properly. Not these jobs that take 14 years to build when they're supposed to be completed in 18 months. You've been hearing about them a little bit, right? That's been the standard. It won't be happening, not in this administration.

The American people deserve the best infrastructure anywhere in the world. We are a nation that created the Panama Canal, the transcontinental railroad, and the Interstate—right? If you think about this—the great highway system, the Interstate Highway System—we don't do that anymore. We really don't. We don't even fix the old highways anymore. We'll take even fixing them, but we're going to get them going again like they've never been before.

These projects not only opened new lanes of commerce, but inspired the immigration and the dreams of millions and millions of people. We crafted monuments to the American spirit. It's time to recapture our legacy as a nation of builders and to create new lanes of travel, commerce, and discovery. And we're going to see all the way into the future, and the future is going to be beautiful, and the future is going to be bright.

In my campaign for President, I traveled all across the Nation. I saw the crumbling infrastructure. I met with communities that were desperate for new roads and new bridges. Bridges were so dangerous, they couldn't use them. They were worried they'd fall down. And you've seen that happen. And I heard the pleas from the voters who wanted to know why we could rebuild foreign countries—my big thing, we build in foreign countries, we spend trillions and trillions of dollars outside of our Nation—but we can't build a road, a highway, a tunnel, a bridge in our own Nation. And we watch everything falling into disrepair.

It's time to rebuild our country, to bring back our jobs, to restore our dreams, and yes, it's time finally to put America first. And that's what I've been doing if you haven't noticed. While it's very early in the administration, I think everyone has noticed, right?

Audience member. We noticed. The President. We have noticed. The people are noticing like they've never noticed before. We're already making historic progress.

Last month, unemployment fell to its lowest point in 16 years. Thank you. Right now—[applause]. Thank you. Right now more small businesses are planning to hire than at any point in the last decade. Last week, the stock market soared to record highs—highest ever—boosting the pensions—and your pensions and your retirement accounts and those of hard-working Americans.

I've just returned from a trip overseas that secured more than $350 billion of military and economic investments into the United States. That means millions of jobs. And I want to thank the King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman—spent a lot of time together—and they're doing a great job. They're going to be doing something very special. You see it with terrorism, the funding of terrorism—it's going to stop. Got to stop the funding of radical Islamic terrorism, and they're going to stop.

And they hosted over 50 all-Muslim countries. They said there's never been anything like in our history. In the history of this world, there has never been anything like what took place 2 weeks ago in Saudi Arabia, and I'm very proud to be a part of it. And hopefully, that can be the beginning of the end to this horrible, horrible situation that the world is suffering right now called terrorism. We're going to put an end to it. And we have to be very tough, and we have to be very smart, and we have to be very vigilant. And we're going to end it.

In my meetings with foreign leaders from many countries, I sent a clear message that America expects fair trade, a level playing field, and so many other things that we're demanding for our workers and for our companies. Every other country looks out for their interests. It's time that we finally start looking out for our interests in the United States. No longer will we sacrifice American jobs, factories, and wealth. The theft of American prosperity has come to a screeching halt, folks. And a new era of American greatness is about to begin. And you see it. It's already beginning.

We're going to restore America's industrial might. And I look here and something—those barges, they've been waiting for us to say hello. The captain says, please wave. Hello, Captain. [Laughter] He put up that big, beautiful American flag.

Creating the jobs and tax base to put new infrastructure all over our country, it's what's happening. But to achieve our full economic strength we must repeal and replace Obamacare. Since Obamacare's implementation began, premiums have increased by an average of 75 percent in Kentucky and 86 percent in Ohio. Just yesterday we learned that the last statewide insurer in Ohio is leaving. Have you folks heard about that? That's it. Bye-bye. Wave goodbye. What a mess! That could mean another 20 counties and 19,000 people will have no plans.

The House of Representative has done—and the House of Representatives has been working, I will tell you very, very hard—has done its job in passing along an Obamacare replacement bill. Now it's time for the Senate—Mitch McConnell, he's working very hard—to act and to save Americans from this catastrophic event. Because Obamacare is dead. Obamacare was one of the biggest broken promises in the history of politics. Remember you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan? Didn't work out that way. You end up paying not to have insurance because it was cheaper.

But there's another major promise that Washington has repeatedly broken, and that is the one where we are here today. It's a promise that's gone unheeded, and it's called restoring America, restoring our country: the promise of a safe, reliable, and modern infrastructure. It hasn't been kept, but we're going to keep it.

American lives and livelihoods depend on our action, together. That's why I am calling on all Democrats—who, honestly, have really been obstructionists. Boy, have they tried—I mean, every single thing. On health care, I won't get one vote. Obamacare is crashing. It's dead. It's in a "death spiral," as the head of one of the biggest insurance companies said. It's in a death spiral. And we're coming out to do good. Not to do bad, to do good. And we won't get one Democrat vote. Think of it. They're just obstructionists. Every single thing is obstruction.

I don't think—you know, honestly, if I were in that party, I wouldn't be doing it that way. I'd be doing positive things. That's why they lost the House, they lost the Senate, they lost the White House. People don't want to see what's going on. They want to see us all come together. But I just don't see them coming together. They're obstructionists.

I'm calling on all Democrats and Republicans to join together, if that's possible, in the great rebuilding of America. Countless American industries, businesses, and jobs depend on rivers, runways, roads, and rails that are in dire and even desperate condition. And millions of American families rely on their water and pipes and pumps that are on the verge of total failure and collapse.

We are pleased to be joined today by representatives from many, many industries that depend on a truly critical component of our Nation's infrastructure, the 12,000 miles of inland waterways. We have farmers, coal miners—and by the way, those coal miners are happy. Coal miners, oh, they like Trump. [Applause] They like Trump. Same with steelworkers, and oil workers. We've taking those restrictions and those horrible regulations off your companies. We're going to have clean, beautiful air; clean, beautiful, crystal water. But you're going to have your jobs also. You're going to have your jobs. Maybe more than ever before.

So I want to salute each of you for the work that you've done and, maybe more importantly, for the work that you're about to do. Because it's going to be a beautiful thing, you watch. These citizens know firsthand that the rivers, like the beautiful Ohio River, carry the lifeblood of our heartland. In fact, I'm very proud that behind us today are those 12 barges.

Oh, look at this. West Virginia—do we love West Virginia? West Virginia—they're filled with West Virginia coal. And you know, next week, we're opening a big coal mine—you know about that—one in Pennsylvania. It's actually a new mine. That hadn't happened in a long time, folks. But we're putting the people and we're putting the miners back to work.

The contents of just one nine-barge towboat, like the one behind me, carries the equivalent of 1,000 semi-tractor trailers. People don't realize it. People don't realize it. But they do now. Roughly 60 percent of United States grain exports travel down these waterways to the Gulf. More than half of all the American steel is produced within 250 miles of where we're standing right now, and its production depends on the inland waterway system.

And wait till you see what I'm going to do for steel and for your steel companies. We're going to stop the dumping and stop all of these wonderful other countries from coming in and killing our companies and our workers. You'll be seeing that very soon. The steel folks are going to be very happy.

Up to 25 percent of the Nation's energy cargo relies on these channels and the refineries along their shores. But these critical corridors of commerce depend on a dilapidated system of locks and dams that is more than half a century old, and their condition, as you know better than anybody, is in very, very bad shape. It continues to decay.

Capital improvements of this system, which is so important, have been massively underfunded, and there is an $8.7 billion maintenance backlog that is only getting bigger and getting worse. Last December, up the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, one lock built more than 50 years ago had to be shut down for 5 days due to hydraulic failure. And you know what that means. Five days means everything comes to a halt. We simply cannot tolerate a 5-day shutdown on a major thoroughfare for American coal, American oil, and American steel, which is going to get more and bigger. America must have the best, fastest, and most reliable infrastructure anywhere in the world. We cannot accept these conditions any longer.

A few years ago, a gate broke from its hinges at the Markland Locks on the Ohio River in Kentucky. It took nearly 5 months to repair. Any of you know about that? Wasn't a pretty picture, right? Right? I don't think so. And in 2011, a massive section of canal wall collapsed near Chicago, delaying everything, and it seemed like forever.

Great American businesses, like Land O'Lakes, which is here today from Minnesota—where are they? Stand up. That's good stuff. Where—come on, stand up. [Applause] Good. It's good stuff—fear that the lock and dam systems they rely on are no longer dependable. I am here with a message for you and for all of the great businesses that are gathered with us, and maybe more importantly—because that's what it's ultimately about—those businesses' workers: Together, we will fix it. We will create the first-class infrastructure our country and our people deserve.

My new vision for American infrastructure will rebuild our country by generating $1 trillion in infrastructure investment. Our infrastructure program—[applause]—it's a lot, a trillion.

You know, as of a few months ago, we spent $6 trillion in the Middle East, along with the death of so many incredible people, and along with all of the other problems that you've been watching every night on television and reading about in the papers—$6 trillion. And yet if we want to fix a road or we want to fix a school or we want to make sure that a bridge doesn't collapse in our country—forgetting about even building new ones—we don't ever seem to have the money. Got to change, folks. It's got to change. Something wrong. Something wrong.

Our infrastructure program will be based on forging new partnerships and demanding new accountability for every Federal taxpayer dollar. Under this vision, the Federal Government will drastically reduce burdensome regulations, which we've already been doing. We have some more to go, but it's going rapidly. I think when people tell me, you know, we're doing the largest tax cut in history, people are more impressed with the fact that we've cut so many regulations, if they had their choice, which is hard to believe. Nobody would have believed it.

So we're getting rid of the regulations, and we're massively streamlining the approvals and the permitting process. Already, my administration has expedited environmental reviews and critical energy projects all across the country. They're getting approved so fast. Thousands and thousands of big jobs—big, big jobs. I don't mean individual jobs, I'm talking about project-type jobs. Thousands of them are being approved rapidly.

And if they're not environmentally sound, they're not going to be approved. But we'll tell them, you're not going to get approved. But thousands of jobs are being approved all over the United States, and I'm very proud of it. And Scott Pruitt has been right at the forefront, and he's done an amazing job. And it hasn't been that easy for him, has it, Scott? But he likes it. He likes to see people go back to work. And he likes to make sure that the environment is perfect and clean. I want to add that too.

I'm pleased to announce that the Dakota Access Pipeline, which I just mentioned, is now officially open for business, a $3.8 billion investment in American infrastructure that was stalled, and nobody thought any politician would have the guts to approve that final leg. And I just closed my eyes and said, do it. [Laughter]

Think of it through a company's standpoint. They build this massive pipeline, going for miles, then they have to hook it up, a little section. And they're stopped. And I said, that's not fair. And you know, when I approved it—it's up, it's running. It's beautiful. It's great. Everybody is happy. The Sun is still shining. The water is clean. [Laughter] But you know when I approved it, I thought I'd take a lot of heat. And I took none. Actually none. People respected that I approved it. But I take so much heat for nonsense that it probably overrode—[laughter]—it probably overrode the other. It's like a decoy. [Laughter]

America built the Golden Gate Bridge in just 4 years and the Hoover Dam in 5 years. Think of that. It should not take 10 years to get approvals for a very small, little piece of infrastructure. And it won't, because under my administration, it's not going to happen like that anymore.

We will work directly with State and local governments to give them the freedom and flexibility they need to revitalize our Nation's infrastructure. At least $200 billion of the $1 trillion plan will come from direct Federal investment. Working with States, local governments, and private industry, we will ensure that these new Federal funds are matched by significant additional dollars for maximum efficiency and accountability. We'll have people watching over each one of these jobs, and every penny will count to them. Taxpayers deserve the best results for their investment, and I will ensure that this is what they get.

The last administration passed a stimulus package of which only a tiny 7 percent went to infrastructure, and much of that was just wasted money. You folks up front, you know what I'm talking about. The great infrastructure plan, nobody saw any money. Remember "shovel ready," right? Shovel ready wasn't shovel ready. [Laughter] That I can tell you. We're not going to repeat that mistake. That's not going to happen again.

Instead, our plan will help States and local governments prioritize their most pressing infrastructure needs, building transformative projects that create a flood of wealth and opportunity to benefit every part of our country, especially rural America. The companies here today are prepared to work with us—and these are great companies today—and you're going to work with us to make sure the right infrastructure gets built and funded quickly, and it's going to be in the right location. Everything about it is going to be right. Businesses like these are ready to invest and creating jobs, but have been waiting for a responsible partner in the Federal Government. You've been waiting for a long time. Now, you have one.

So I want to thank all of the great workers for being here today. I want to thank all of the great business leaders. You have some business leaders that are legendary people in the audience, running massive, massive companies, and being slowed down, but now they'll be able to speed it up. Not only are we going to repair much of the depleted infrastructure, but we're going to create brand new projects that excite and inspire, because that is what a great country does. That is what a great country has to do. America wants to build. Across the Nation, our amazing construction workers, steelworkers, ironworkers, fitters, electricians, and so many others are just waiting to get back to work. With the talent and skill they represent—which, believe me, I grew up in the building business, I know the talent and the skill and the courage and everything else that they have—there is no limit to what we can achieve. All it takes is a bold and daring vision and the will to make it happen.

Nearly two centuries ago, one American Governor had just such a vision and a will. His name was Governor Dewitt Clinton. As the Governor of New York State, he dreamed of a canal stretching nearly 400 miles, to connect the Atlantic Ocean in the East with the Great Lakes in the West. He predicted that its construction would place New York City at the very center of worldwide commerce.

He took the idea to Washington, but President Thomas Jefferson—great President—didn't agree with him, and he dismissed that concept as total "madness." I'd like to thank—and all of the people that helped so much in that incredible event, and I think that Jefferson simply understood who he was and who he was dealing with—because if you want a New Yorker to do something, just tell them—like our great past Governor—that it's impossible to do.

The Governor didn't give up, and New York State achieved what they thought was the impossible. And when the Erie Canal opened in 1825, he was on the first boat. He personally deposited a bucket of water from the Great Lakes into the New York Harbor.

The new canal exceeded even the Governor's bold vision. It dramatically reduced the time and cost required to transport goods from the heartland. As a result, new settlers rushed into the Midwest, including to right, smack, here. Probably some of you indirectly, right? Definitely some of you.

Just as the daring dreams of our ancestors opened new paths across our land, today, we will build the dreams that open new paths to a better tomorrow. We, too, will see jobs and wealth flood into the heartland and see new products and new produce made and grown right here in the U.S.A. And you don't hear that much anymore. We will buy American, and we will hire American.

We will not—so importantly—be content to let our Nation become a museum of former glories. We will construct incredible new monuments to American grit that inspire wonder for generations and generations to come. We will build because our people want to build and because we need them to build. We will build because our prosperity demands it. And above all, we will build because that is how we make America great again.

Thank you. God bless you. Go out there and work. You're going to see some amazing things happen over the next long period of time. Thank you, everyone. It's a great honor to be with you. Thank you.