Klobuchar legislation strengthening nation’s infrastructure blocked by filibuster

Washington,  D.C. – U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s legislation strengthening the nation’s infrastructure received the votes of a majority of senators in the U.S. Senate today (Thursday, Nov. 3), but was ultimately blocked from moving forward by a filibuster.

The Rebuild America Jobs Act would make critical investments in infrastructure projects across the country and establish a national infrastructure bank to provide public-private financing for transportation, water, and energy projects. The final vote on moving forward with Klobuchar’s bill was 51-49.

“I believe the infrastructure bank and other provisions of this bill will gain bipartisan support and ultimately pass,” said Klobuchar. “While other countries are moving full steam ahead with infrastructure investments, we’re simply treading water. In an increasingly competitive global economy, standing still is falling behind. This legislation is the kind of bold and new initiative we need to create better opportunities for our businesses so they have the network they need to move goods to market. I will continue to work to strengthen our nation’s infrastructure and ensure our competitiveness in the 21st century economy.”

The Rebuild America Jobs Act would provide $50 billion for direct investments in America’s infrastructure, including road, bridge, freight rail and port infrastructure; airport and aviation investments; Next Generation air traffic control advancements; passenger rail; and other infrastructure projects of national and regional significance.

The legislation would also establish the American Infrastructure Financing Authority, a national infrastructure bank that would incentivize public-private partnerships to provide loans and loan guarantees to finance essential transportation, water, and energy projects that would otherwise be too expensive for one city, county, or state to accomplish on its own.

Klobuchar’s legislation would make immediate investments of at least $600 million in Minnesota’s infrastructure that could support a minimum of approximately 7,900 local jobs. 13 percent of Minnesota’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and 32 percent of Minnesota’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Vehicle travel on Minnesota’s highways increased 47 percent from 1990 to 2007, and 76 percent of Minnesota’s major urban highways are congested.

“The cracks in our nation’s infrastructure became tragically clear in Minnesota on that August afternoon when the I-35W Bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River, taking the lives of thirteen and injuring many more,” Klobuchar said. “This legislation would make critical investments in Minnesota’s infrastructure so we can fix dangerous intersections like that on Highway 52 in Goodhue County, invest in rural water projects across Minnesota, and ensure that no bridge ever again collapses in the middle of America.”

Source: http://hometownsource.com