US President Barack Obama on the Labor Day holiday proposed a six-year plan to revamp highways, rails and airport runways to create jobs and improve the US transportation network.
The bill, which will need to be passed by Congress, will include an initial USD 50bn investment for the first year. Speaking at labour rally in Milwaukee, President Obama said he would make sure the bill is fully funded.
“It will not add to the deficit over time-–we’re going to work with Congress to see to that,” he said.
The bill would rebuild 150,000 miles of roads and bridges, and build and maintain 4,000 miles of both high-speed and commuter rail lines.
President Obama highlighted the need for high-speed rail, saying, “we’re going to continue our strategy to build a national high-speed rail network that reduces congestion and travel times and reduces harmful emissions.”
Despite eight straight months of private sector job growth, nearly one in five construction workers are unemployed in the US.
