Peters Statement on State of the Union
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) issued the following statement after President Trump delivered his State of the Union address:
“At a time when America is deeply divided, it is more important than ever that Members of Congress from both parties come together to tackle the big challenges facing our nation. I hope President Trump will make good on his commitment tonight to work with both Democrats and Republicans to pass bipartisan legislation that will rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and support hard-working American families.
“As the Ranking Member of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee, I’m focused on promoting federal investments to upgrade and modernize our roads, bridges and ports, expand rural broadband networks, and lay the groundwork for smart transportation like connected and self-driving vehicles.
“Although President Trump campaigned on a promise to improve infrastructure, I’m concerned that his barebones infrastructure proposal lacks meaningful federal investments and instead forces cash-strapped state and local governments to make up for the lack of strong federal support or shifts the burden to American people through tolls and fees.
“A robust infrastructure package has the potential to drive innovation and create good-paying jobs in Michigan and across the country. I was honored to have Mike Jackson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, as my guest this evening to highlight the importance of protecting prevailing wage laws that ensure skilled workers get a fair wage and taxpayers get their money’s worth when infrastructure projects are completed on budget and on time.
“Ensuring workers can earn middle class wages should be part of a comprehensive approach to economic growth that includes boosting our manufacturing sector and fighting unfair trade practices. We need to enforce trade laws and help small businesses take action to protect American workers and ensure our international competitors are not using unfair practices to undercut fair wages, manipulate their currency or restrict access to American-made products in their markets.
“Moving forward, I hope that the President and Republicans in Congress will work in a bipartisan way to address these important economic issues, which means crafting a forward-looking bill that makes significant investments in the critical infrastructure without undercutting fair wages.”
Senator Peters serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security. He also co-founded the bipartisan Senate Smart Transportation Caucus, which focuses on advancing new innovation in transportation technologies that will improve safety and efficiency.
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