Dear GOP, It's Time to Invest in Our Nation's Infrastructure!

There are just five legislative days left until America's Highway Trust Fund expires, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of jobs and 6,000 construction projects, and yet House Republicans continue to ruthlessly cut investments in our nation's crumbling infrastructure.

From an editorial in today's New York Times:

…Wednesday morning, while the wreckage lay on the tracks, the Republican majority on the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut Amtrak's budget by about $260 million.  That would reduce Amtrak's already inadequate appropriations from $1.4 billion to about $1.1 billion.

As a result of meager financing, railroad experts estimated last month that it would take a $21.1 billion just to repair and replace existing assets in the Northeast Corridor that have outlived their "design life" — tracks, ties, electric wires, communications networks, major bridges and tunnels.  That does not include new stations, bullet trains or expanding the system.  That's only fixing what's already in use.

…In recent years, Amtrak has been steadily adding riders throughout most of its system.  But the railroad is still losing money, though less each year…

Congress needs to focus on the condition of this important national asset, as ridership has increased to about 31 million a year, up from 24 million in 2005.

…American lawmakers are stubbornly headed in the wrong direction.  To thrive, a national railway has to be fully supported as a vital government service.

The urgent state of our nation's infrastructure cannot be overstated.  Once among the world leaders in quality infrastructure, the United States now ranks 16th – behind Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and Japan – according to the World Economic Forum.  According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), nearly one-third of America's roads are in poor or mediocre condition and one in four bridges require significant repair or cannot handle today's traffic.  ASCE's overall assessment of our nation's infrastructure rated America at a D+.

• The Republican (Massachusetts) Editorial – As nation's bridges crumble Congress fails to act
• Arkansas Online –No Congress deal, road jobs halt, state says
• CBS News – Bipartisan mayors say train crash is a dire warning
• Associated Press – Uncertain funding a problem for aging roads in Connecticut, nation
• KETK (Texas) – More than 260 Texas chambers urge Congress to fund transportation
• Courier-Post (New Jersey) – No solution in sight for fixing N.J.'s crumbling roads, bridges
• Leaf Chronicle Editorial (Tennessee) – Road funding needs reform
• WBOC Channel 16 (Delaware) – Del.'s Federal Infrastructure Funding Uncertain
• The Courier-Journal (Kentucky) – 300+ Kentuckiana bridges deficient
• Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada) – Federal dysfunction could hurt Northern Nevada road projects

We all know the dangerous state of America's crumbling infrastructure isn't going to fix itself.  As Morning Joe's contributor Mike Barnicle said this morning: "I'm sick of politicians talking about infrastructure and doing nothing about infrastructure spending in this country.  I'm sick of it."  [5/14/2015].

So are Democrats and mayors across the country.  It is long past time for a long-term reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund that will bring our roads, rails and bridges into the 21st century.  We can't afford to wait.