The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on the need for Congress to quickly pass physical and human infrastructure bills that will invest and rebuild essential networks while also providing affordable child care, job training programs and tax credits for low-wage workers.
“Congress is on the brink of delivering for hardworking Americans. Lawmakers must quickly come together to approve important infrastructure legislation that will boost necessary transportation, electrical and water networks, create good-paying jobs and bring the nation’s economy into the 21st century. This is a bipartisan measure that needs to be approved immediately.
“The other piece of legislation, known as the Build Back Better Act, is admittedly more contentious, but no less necessary. The Biden administration carefully crafted this measure to raise up workers who have been left behind in Wall Street’s profiteering in recent years that has enriched company executives.
“Working Americans have received the short end of the stick for too long. It’s time to change that path, and the White House is leading the way. This bill will help restore economic fairness by expanding child care for working parents, the child tax credit, and workforce training programs among other things. Dollars would also be poured into creating new jobs that also preserve the environment.
“These are not new ideas. In fact, the Roosevelt Institute – on whose board I serve – has previously raised many of them. Our nation needs good-paying jobs and a culture change that supports those on the job. These measures do that, and the Teamsters can’t wait until they become law.”
