400+ City Leaders Call on Congress to take Immediate Action on Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 400 National League of Cities (NLC) members sent a letter to Congressional leadership this week urging Congress to pass a comprehensive infrastructure package. Local leaders stressed that eliminating inefficient bureaucratic processes and streamlining investment directly to local governments will ensure that every dollar is quickly used to help build and maintain critical infrastructure.

“Infrastructure is a job worth doing, and local governments are ready to put in the work to rebuild America’s infrastructure,” the letter reads. “America’s cities, towns and villages are ready for Congress to come through with infrastructure programs that partner with local governments to get projects done. We can invest together in transportation, water, broadband and workforce training to keep America moving and create local jobs.”

Specifically, city leaders are calling on Congress to:

• Use all new transportation investments to leverage local and regional efforts to build the modern, safe and technology-forward goals that residents need;
• Provide financing, funding and flexibility to meet the nation’s growing drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure needs and address the impacts of climate change;
• Provide new financing and funding for broadband infrastructure, adoption and affordability that directly reaches communities of all sizes, and remove state legal barriers to local broadband decision-making; and
• Invest in skills training, including short-term occupational training and on-the-job training, that will support a local talent pipeline in building, rebuilding and maintaining our critical American infrastructure.

The letter from local leaders follows NLC’s detailed letter to Congressional leadership earlier this month outlining the top priorities of cities, towns and villages as Congress considers a historic bipartisan infrastructure package.

Read today’s letter signed by more than 400 city leaders here.