Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) Says Federal Government Must Become More Engaged and Invested in Renewing and Rebuilding Our Nation

For Immediate Release                                             
Media Contact: Sahar Wali
January 28, 2009                                             
202-225-8413 Office/202-834-6919 Cell
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Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) praised the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.  The report card assigned a cumulative grade of D to our nation’s infrastructure and noted that all levels of government and the private sector would need to invest $2.2 trillion for repairs and needed upgrades. Rep. Blumenauer’s statement on the report card is below:

"Today's report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a wake-up call to our government and our nation about the threat posed by our ailing infrastructure to maintaining and improving our economy and way of life.

“To provide the American people with security and sustainability our government must become better partners in renewing and rebuilding America.  Our infrastructure is the backbone of our nation’s productivity and security and it must keep pace with the demands placed upon it.   By investing in infrastructure improvements we can move towards a more stable and secure future for America.“I commend ASCE for their continued work in highlighting this vital issue for America and for the report card’s call to action.

“For years, I have been working to draw attention to our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and the need to rebuild and renew this critical pipeline of American life.  We need to invest and improve our infrastructure and we need to start doing it now.

"Oregonians have led the way on infrastructure improvements and with the leadership of Gov. Ted Kulongoski and my colleagues in Congress, Rep. Peter DeFazio and Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregonians have been able to bring these needs to the forefront.”

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