In June, welaudedefforts by President Biden and a group of 10 bipartisan senators to find consensus on a plan to revitalize U.S. infrastructure. Their work came to fruition last week with the announcement of the $1 trillion bipartisanInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which, if passed, would mark a historic investment in the nation’s infrastructure and help build a stronger economy in the 21stcentury. It’s time for Congress to turn this plan into a reality.
TheAmerican Society of Civil Engineersgave our nationwide infrastructure a disappointing “C-” grade earlier this year. It’s clear our roads, bridges, airports, waterways, and ports are in need of modernization. As we work to improve these traditional transportation modes, however, we must be mindful of the new technologies that power today’s economy and ensure federal investments also go toward boosting broadband, promoting energy efficiency, and reducing the nation’s carbon footprint.
With its sizeable investments, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would make meaningful progress on these goals. The bill includes more than $100 billion to reduce traffic congestion and improve the safety of our roadways. It would also direct a historic $73 billion toward clean energy transmission, as well as promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and ensure that new infrastructure is built in a way to better withstand the destructive effects of climate change.
These are smart investments that we support because they’re good for our customers, and they’re good for our communities. We use roads, ports, and airports to deliver packages to our customers, who in turn rely on broadband and connected devices to work, learn, shop, be entertained, and stay connected to family and friends.
Amazon invests directly in traditional and cutting-edge infrastructure to better meet customer needs. We’re the world’slargest corporate purchaserof renewable energy and plan to deploy 100,000electric delivery vehiclesby 2030. We’re also investing an initial $10 billion inProject Kuiperto provide fast, affordable broadband to communities across the country that lack reliable internet access. In fact, the Progressive Policy Institute estimates that in 2020 Amazon invested$34 billionin American infrastructure.
We’re pleased to play an active role in creating opportunity and recognize that additional investments in infrastructure from the government will help to spur economic growth and drive the country’s prosperity forward. And, we’re not alone. Groups across the political spectrum haveannounced supportfor this effort. We are encouraged by such strong, broad support and hope the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives move swiftly to push this bipartisan initiative across the finish line.
