National Governors Association Chairman New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Vice Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson issued the following statement after President Biden and Vice President Harris and a bipartisan group of legislators announced a landmark bipartisan infrastructure framework with Congress:
“Governors are encouraged by yesterday’s announcement from the White House, establishing a bipartisan framework for historic, new investments in American infrastructure. As Governors have shown, infrastructure is one of the few truly bipartisan issues and this framework recognizes the importance of federal partnership in investment. From the Erie Canal to the Transcontinental Railroad to the Interstate Highway System, big, transformative projects have driven economic growth and innovation. For the past four decades, however, the overall condition of U.S. infrastructure has continued to deteriorate.
“As Congress prepares to write the major infrastructure investment package based on this framework, Governors will work in a bipartisan manner to ensure state and territory needs are addressed, such as investing to modernize and make more resilient our transportation system; supporting innovation to make our energy system more efficient; and addressing the significant backlog in critical water infrastructure projects. To do this properly, Congress must ensure states are responsible for directing how state-level investments are made.
“We look forward to working with the White House and Congress in a bipartisan manner to advance these and other critical priorities on behalf of the nation’s Governors.”