Dr. Joyce on Biden?s So-Called Infrastructure Plan: ?Stop Trying to Trick the American People?

"Improving roads, bridges, and other key infrastructure should be a commonsense, bipartisan priority. Failing infrastructure doesn't discriminate a broken bridge can harm Democrats just as it can harm Republicans."

Washington, DC On the House Floor this week, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) highlighted the importance of achievable infrastructure improvements and denounced President Joe Biden's so-called infrastructure plan as a vehicle for partisan priorities such as the Green New Deal. In his remarks, Dr. Joyce urged road and bridge improvements, as well as rural broadband expansion.

"Unfortunately, the so-called infrastructure reform put forth by President Biden and House Democrats fails to take seriously the challenges that we are facing in Pennsylvania and around the country," said Dr. Joyce. "In the rural district that I represent, we know the importance of true infrastructure. We need to make our roadways and bridges safer, we need to improve our transportation systems, and we desperately need to deploy reliable internet to those lacking access to broadband. That is true infrastructure. But, unfortunately, that's not the Biden plan."

While Congressman Joyce is a strong supporter of pragmatic infrastructure reform, the Democrats' radical "infrastructure bill" fails to address Pennsylvania's infrastructure needs. Of President Biden's infrastructure plan:

• Less than 6 percent would fund roads and bridges
• Less than 2 percent would fund waterways, locks, dams, ports, and airports
• Less than 5 percent would fund broadband projects.

Watch Dr. Joyce's remarks here.

Image

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:

Madam Speaker, As the son of a civil engineer, I was raised with an understanding of the value of infrastructure that serves people and benefits communities. My commitment to infrastructure has spanned decades. As a young man, I put shovel to the road in the construction of highways and bridges and now, I advocate for infrastructure improvements in Congress.

As we know all too well in rural Pennsylvania, infrastructure has real life consequences for communities.

At its core, improving roads, bridges, and other key infrastructure should be a commonsense, bipartisan priority. Failing infrastructure doesn't discriminate a broken bridge can harm Democrats just as it can harm Republicans.

Unfortunately, the so-called infrastructure reform put forth by President Biden and House Democrats fails to take seriously the challenges that we are facing in Pennsylvania and around the country.

In the rural district that I represent, we know the importance of true infrastructure. We need to make our roadways and bridges safer, we need to improve our transportation systems, and we desperately need to deploy reliable internet to those lacking access to broadband.

That is true infrastructure. But, unfortunately, that's not the Biden plan.

Let's look at the facts. In President Biden's infrastructure plan, less than 6 percent would go to roads and bridges. Less than 2 percent would go to waterways, locks, dams, ports, and airports. And, less than 5 percent would go to broadband.

With $600 billion dollars devoted to the Green New Deal this has never been about infrastructure.

In Pennsylvania, the extreme policies championed in the Biden plan will crush our vital manufacturing and energy industries. This plan prioritizes the progressive agenda over the needs of American workers and small businesses.

In the name of "infrastructure," the Democrats want to kill our jobs, raise our taxes, burden families, and stunt our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Today I ask, is it worth it?

As we seek to define infrastructure and consider improvements to our nation's fundamental infrastructure needs, I urge my colleagues to dispense with the political games.

We need roads, we need bridges, we need reliable internet. We do not need the Green New Deal.

Stop calling this infrastructure. Stop hiding progressive policies in a trojan horse. Stop trying to trick the American people.

While I stand ready to work with the president and House Democrats on true infrastructure reform, this plan is further evidence that the Biden-Harris Administration and Democrats are more than happy to push their radical agenda at the expense of hardworking Americans.

Instead of propelling radical policies, this could be a good faith opportunity to deliver results for the American people. If we work together, we can get this job done. From deploying broadband in rural communities to sustaining our basic roads, we must bridge the divide.

Thank you, and I yield.

###