Bera Backs Bipartisan, Fiscally-responsible Infrastructure Bill

Press Release

Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. has again sponsored the Partnership to Build America Act, bipartisan legislation to rebuild America's infrastructure in a fiscally-responsible way. Bera was an original sponsor of similar legislation in the last Congress.

Currently, transportation infrastructure projects like fixes to roads and bridges are funded by the Highway Trust Fund, which is sustained by a tax on gasoline. Some have suggested raising that tax as gasoline tax receipts have declined. Bera has repeatedly been against this because it unfairly hurts middle class families and small businesses, and puts a strain on our economy.

"Middle class families can't afford a tax on taking their kids to school or to go to the grocery store" said Bera. "The Partnership to Build America is a common sense, bipartisan alternative that helps solve our infrastructure problem WITHOUT using any taxpayer money or increasing our country's debt, while also creating jobs right here at home. Improving our outdated infrastructure is an area where many Republicans and Democrats agree. In our region alone, millions of trips every single day are made over structurally deficient bridges and the state of our levees is extremely serious. It's time to get this done, and the Partnership to Build America is the right solution."

The bill creates a $50 billion dollar infrastructure reserve that is funded by selling bonds to private companies. U.S. corporations would be incentivized to bring home billions of dollars of money earned abroad if they invest in these infrastructure bonds. If passed, it would create significant American jobs in the short-term and help U.S. competitiveness in the long-term.

America's infrastructure received a D+ grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2013 based on physical condition and needed investments for improvement.

Source