Statement from AAA President and CEO Marshall L. Doney
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 31, 2018)
AAA appreciates the president highlighting the importance of transportation infrastructure in his State of the Union address, but we had hoped he would take the opportunity to lay out a specific strategy to achieve his campaign promise of a largescale investment – $1 trillion total over 10 years – into our nation’s infrastructure. Roadways and bridges across the country need to be rebuilt and rehabbed. Without significant investment, the situation will only worsen. We need to seriously address the state of transportation infrastructure in our country now because the safety and mobility of our citizens and the future of our economy depends on it.
Infrastructure is not a Democratic or Republican issue. However, the dilemma over how to pay for it has remained unsolved for decades. State officials have testified about the real needs on the ground and the shortfall of funds. A thoughtful and modest increase in the federal gas tax, even just to match inflation, would provide an immediate stimulus to the Highway Trust Fund and help rebuild transportation in America, while giving our government more time to address long-term funding solutions to meet future transportation needs.
In order to adequately tackle the biggest problems facing our infrastructure, it is going to take cooperation and courage from many on both sides of the aisle. Now, it is time for our members of Congress to come together and show leadership by addressing the funding shortfall and providing a sustainable system for infrastructure maintenance and improvements. AAA will continue to support increased investment that will improve and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, and it is our hope that Congress and the president will eventually come together around that common goal.