THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT. I WANT TO THANK THE GROUP OF SENATORS FOR DOING WHAT THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD DO. THE DEATH OF THIS LEGISLATION WAS MILDLY PREMATURE AS REPORTED. THEY SAID THEY WERE WILLING TO WORK IN A BIPARTISAN MANNER. I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR KEEPING THEIR WORD.
THAT’S JUST WHAT THEY DID. AFTER YEARS AND YEARS OF INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK, WE’RE IN THE CUSP OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE DECADE. THAT I TRULY BELIEVE WILL TRANSFORM AMERICA. AS YOU ALL KNOW JUST A SHORT WHILE AGO THE UNITED STATES SENATE PASSED THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT. THE VERY LEGISLATION I RAN ON WHEN I ANNOUNCED MY CANDIDACY FOR THE NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT.
HISTORIC INVESTMENT. AND OUR DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS AND BROADBAND, CLEAN ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP, AND MAKING INFRASTRUCTURE MORE RESILIENT AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS MUCH MORE IN OUR MINDS IN HOW WE DEAL WITH IT. YOU KNOW, WE’RE POISED ONCE AGAIN AND I MEAN THIS IN A LITERAL SENSE, TO MAKE THE SAME KIND OF HISTORIC INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE SO OFTEN MADE POSSIBLE, MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR AMERICA TO BUILD THE FUTURE AND ALLOW US TO OUTCOMPETE THE REST OF THE WORLD.
FROM BUILDING THE ERIE CANAL IN THE EARLY 1800s, THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD, TO CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED DURING THE CIVIL WAR. TO DWIGHT EISENHOWER’S INTERSTATE SYSTEM IN THE 1950s.
THE INVESTMENTS HAVE LITERALLY CONNECTED OUR ENTIRE NATION AND FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THE WAY OF LIFE. PUBLIC INVESTMENT THAT’S TOOK US TO THE MOON AND THE DISCOVER YOU ARE OF LIFE SAVING MEDICINES AND VACCINES AND GAVE US THE INTERNET. AMERICA HAS OFTEN HAD THE GREATEST PROSPERITY, MADE THE MOST PROGRESS WHEN WE INVEST IN AMERICA ITSELF. AND THAT’S WHAT THIS INFRASTRUCTURE BILL DOES. WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM THE UNITED STATES SENATE, 69 VOTES IN THE SENATE, A VOTE MARGIN BIGGER THAN WHEN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM PASSED IN THE SENATE IN 1956.
KEY INVESTMENTS THAT WILL CREATE MILLIONS OF GOOD UNION JOBS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN CITIES, SMALL TOWNS, RURAL AND TRAVEL .
