The American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Steel Bridge Alliance (a division of AISC) commend the U.S. Senate for passing the $1 trillion, bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The bill includes more than $110 billion to replace and repair bridges, highways, and roads. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory, around 38% of America’s 616,000 bridges need either repairs or a full replacement.
“This investment in America’s roads and bridges is long overdue, and America’s fabricated structural steel industry is standing by to answer the call,” said AISC Director of Government Relations and Sustainability Max Puchtel.
“The U.S. structural steel industry directly supports around 200,000 jobs in almost every Congressional district,” Puchtel added. “AISC calls on the U.S. House of Representatives to move this bill forward quickly so these dedicated American men and women can get to work building a strong, safe, smart future for our country.”
AISC, which includes NSBA, represents nearly 1,000 U.S. businesses that fabricate and install the structural steel in America’s great steel bridges, infrastructure projects, and skylines.
AISC and NSBA are vocal supporters of strong Buy America and Buy American provisions for government contracts and we’re optimistic these policy initiatives will be retained in the new infrastructure bill. Since President Joe Biden’s election, the Institute has partnered with other industry groups, including the American Iron and Steel Institute, the United Steelworkers union, the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports, the Speciality Steel Industry of North America, and the Alliance for American Manufacturing, to urge his administration to support the domestic steel industry and protect American workers from unfair foreign competition.
For more information, please see press releases from January 11, 2021, May 19, 2021, and aisc.org/advocacy.
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