Connecticut Lawmakers Push for Infrastructure Bill

0:00It's March 31st. This is Hartford News Today, driven by AI. It's been five years since Congress passed that big federal infrastructure bill, and now it's time for reauthorization. Connecticut's congressional crew, including Senator Richard Blumenthal and reps like Joe Courtney, Rosa Deloro, Jim Himes, and Johanna Hayes, say it. Duable this session, even with all the gridlock in DC, they teamed up with experts from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association at an event and walling for this week. The group points to recent bipartisan wins, like a Department of Transportation funding bill, pumping $3.4 billion over current levels. Over the last five years, federal cash has boosted state transportation funding by 10 to 13% nationwide, driving 75% of that growth. It's led to 41,000 new jobs for construction workers across the country, and in Connecticut alone, the original bill delivered $15.7 billion for nearly 380 projects.

1:03Lawmakers highlighted priorities like faster project delivery, better workforce training, worker safety, and more investment in highways, transit, and rail. They're pushing for at least $630 billion in the new bill, but the clock is ticking with competing priorities like defense and Homeland Security funding. Officials from local industry and labor are wrapping up the pressure to keep the momentum going, stressing that United Voices from states like ours could seal the deal and build on these gains.