Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senate Democrats outlined their Jobs and Infrastructure Plan for America’s Workers which stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s infrastructure scam. Unlike the Trump scam, which includes a mere percentage of the funding needed and effectively guts large portions of America’s bedrock environmental protection laws, Senate Democrats’ plan addresses the root causes of our infrastructure shortfall by investing comprehensively in areas including clean energy, water projects, maintenance on public lands, universal broadband and improving the grid.
The Democratic plan features over $35B in water and sewer funding for rural communities as well as forward-thinking solutions for climate resilience to harden at-risk infrastructure and take into account shoreline protection, wetlands restoration, and sea level rise mitigation.
Trump’s plan falls far short of what is needed to improve our ailing infrastructure and places an unsustainable burden on state and local governments. His plan also includes aggressive efforts to gut environmental protections, making it easier for corporations to build dangerous pipelines and other environmentally destructive projects. The Senate Democratic proposal also stakes out clear opposition to the Trump administration’s attempts to slash critical funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, Department Of Transportation, and other government agencies.
In Response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Senate Democrats are showing real leadership on infrastructure by advancing a plan which would actually begin to tackle the challenges facing our country, while also protecting the environment and safeguarding the health of our communities. Trump’s proposal, in stark contrast, is a full on attack on bedrock environmental and public health safeguards that does little to address the root causes of our infrastructure problems.
“The Senate Democratic proposal is a 21st century plan that advances a vision to expand the booming clean energy economy and invest in critical public transportation projects while ensuring that our infrastructure is more resilient to the consequences of the climate crisis.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.