Last week, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, released the following statement as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled the American Jobs Plan, a historic, new-age jobs and infrastructure package to reimagine and rebuild the American economy, invest in American communities, create millions of new jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, combat climate change, and take on global competitors like China.
“What America makes and grows, makes and grows America,” said Rep. Kaptur. “As Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which will shoulder major provisions of this new-age jobs and infrastructure package, I strongly applaud President Joe Biden and his Administration for providing a strong lead for renewed American progress by strengthening our homeland from the ground up.”
“The United States is the wealthiest country in the world – and yet families and communities struggle to make ends meet as their neighborhoods and infrastructure crumble around them. Ohioans know this reality better than anyone. Over the last several decades, manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, while communities have been left to fend for themselves. The previous Administration skyrocketed our trade deficit to historic highs, while doing less than nothing to help American workers. Public domestic investment as a share of the economy has fallen by more than 40 percent since the 1960s. Following decades of neglect, our roads, bridges, and water infrastructure are crumbling. Our electric grid is vulnerable. Countless Americans lack reliable, high-speed internet. And the level at which working Americans continue to endure poverty wages, threats to their collective bargaining rights, and a lack of access to safe, quality housing is a national disgrace. America, once the world’s greatest leader in manufacturing and innovation, is falling behind our global competitors in training, manufacturing, and research and development – especially in emerging industries like renewable energy.
“For too long, our national leaders have let American innovation and investment slip away to foreign competition. It’s time America grabs the reins of progress again. The American Jobs Plan will invest in American communities, jobs, and infrastructure in ways not seen for a generation – it is desperately needed and I look forward to working closely with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and my colleagues in Congress to ensure it becomes a reality. Let us pull forward together for the sake of generations to come.”