Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democrats outlined an infrastructure plan, A Better Deal to Rebuild America, which stands in stark contrast to the leaked Trump plan by actually proposing real solutions to fix the degraded state of infrastructure in the United States. The plan is five times larger than the rumored Trump proposal, and includes comprehensive investments in areas like clean energy and improving the grid, as well as proposes forward thinking solutions that take into account “stronger, more resilient transportation networks and public infrastructure to withstand rising sea levels, a changing climate, extreme weather and predicted seismic events”.
The Trump plan, according to Washington Post reporting, falls far short of what is needed, and instead includes aggressive efforts to gut environmental protections in an effort to make it easier for corporations to build dangerous pipelines and other environmentally destructive projects. Earlier leaked documents indicate that the Trump administration is seeking to sell public lands off to the fossil fuel industry and other special interests in order to finance its limited and inadequate spending program.
In Response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Congressional Democrats have laid out the principles for a program that would actually begin to address the major funding shortfalls that are the root cause of the sad state of our nation’s infrastructure. Their vision helps to expand the booming clean energy economy, invests in critical public transportation projects, and would preserve natural resources and protect our air and water instead of degrading them. Trump’s proposal would do the opposite.
“Everyone agrees that our nation’s infrastructure is in dire need of investment and repair, but the American people know that we can protect our environment, and even strengthen it, by investing in infrastructure the right way, and they will reject any plan designed to weaken the nation’s bedrock environmental laws.”
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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.