Contact: Anthony Campisi
(215) 821-8657
Anthony@Ceislermedia.com
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Executive Director Josh McNeil issued the following statement in response to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s visit to Pittsburgh today, which focused on the importance of passing President Biden’s American Jobs plan to build a robust transportation infrastructure that will create jobs, make critical progress towards racial justice, fight climate change, and deliver cleaner air and water:
President Biden’s American Rescue Plan was a crucial first step in getting our country back on track by putting COVID-19 vaccines in people’s arms and shoring up our economy.
Now that we are seeing the benefits of bold federal action, we are calling on Congress to take the next step and quickly pass the American Jobs Plan, which would create jobs and grow Pennsylvania’s economy for the long term — all while curbing harmful climate emissions.
The American Jobs Plan would make historic investments in both local transit and intercity rail, including a proposal for more frequent Amtrak service to Pittsburgh. It will also double the federal investment in public transit, allowing cities like Pittsburgh to implement long overdue service expansions, and modernize transit infrastructure that has been neglected for far too long. This combined investment of more than $160 billion will reduce emissions and traffic and it will grant critical mobility to low income communities and communities of color that rely heavily on public transportation.
It also includes $174 billion in investments in electric vehicle technology that will make electric vehicles affordable and practical for the average American while creating a whole new generation of unionized American autoworkers earning family-sustaining wages. The plan will enable us to develop a domestic supply chain for the parts necessary to build the cars entirely in the U.S - and Pittsburgh’s history of manufacturing, combined with its recent status as a high-tech hub, makes the region uniquely poised to take advantage of this developing market.
Here in Pittsburgh, Rep. Conor Lamb has emerged as a champion for this transformative plan to build a 21st century, sustainable economy, appearing with President Biden as he introduced the plan. We look forward to working with him on sending this plan to the president’s desk to build a green energy economy from the working class out.
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