Donald Trump on U.S. Infrastructure

“America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year – is it not a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a permit approved for a simple road?

I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve.

Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5tn for the new infrastructure investment we need.

Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and, where appropriate, tapping into private sector investment – to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit.

Any bill must also streamline the permitting and approval process – getting it down to no more than two years, and perhaps even one.

Together, we can reclaim our building heritage. We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways across our land. And we will do it with American heart, American hands and American grit.”

Donald Trump

30 January 2018