Don’t Let the Highway Trust Fund Go Bankrupt
The U.S. economy gained 288,000 jobs in June, but Congressional inaction on a transportation bill may jeopardize thousands of jobs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 3, 2014) – Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics unveiled the June employment situation, which showed the economy gained 288,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent. The following is a statement from BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Kim Glas:
“The job market is steadily improving but the threat that Congress will let the Highway Trust Fund go bankrupt looms large. Despite months of debate, lawmakers have failed to act. They’re putting thousands of jobs on the line.
“It’s time we let construction workers, manufacturers and small businesses get to the work of revitalizing America’s infrastructure systems—especially during the height of construction season—without Congress mucking it up. Congress must authorize a fully funded, long-term plan—like the GROW AMERICA Act proposed by the administration and Department of Transportation—to fix the problems caused by decades of deferred maintenance and to repair and modernize our infrastructure to support a prosperous 21st century economy.”
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The BlueGreen Alliance is a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the clean economy. Launched in 2006, the strategic partnership now brings together major U.S. labor unions and America’s most influential environmental organizations and unites nearly 16 million members and supporters in pursuit of good jobs, a clean environment.