Raleigh, NC – Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) applauded President Biden’s $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, an infrastructure package that will create millions of jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and re-position the U.S. as a global leader.
“President Biden’s comprehensive infrastructure plan will spur our economy through the creation of well-paying jobs, particularly in the clean energy manufacturing sector, where North Carolina is well-positioned to lead the way. It will also upgrade our nation’s roads, invest in clean drinking water infrastructure, modernize our nation’s electric grid, and expand broadband connectivity to harder-to-reach communities,“ said Congresswoman Ross.
“Wake County is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S., and this infrastructure plan will ensure North Carolina has the physical and social infrastructure we need to support this growth. I applaud President Biden for delivering on his promise to introduce an infrastructure plan that North Carolinians desperately need.”
The American Jobs Plan will fix highways; rebuild bridges, upgrade ports, airports, and transit systems; and deliver clean drinking water infrastructure, a renewed electric grid, and high-speed broadband to all Americans. The legislation will also build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings; modernize our nation’s schools and childcare facilities; and upgrade veterans’ hospitals and federal buildings.
North Carolina faces a shortage of nearly 200,000 affordable and available rental homes for low-income renters. In Wake County, there is an inventory shortage of 60,000 affordable housing units, and it is projected the county will need 175,000 new housing units in the next decade to meet the demand of the growing population.
Transportation infrastructure is in disrepair across the state: nearly 10% of bridges and 14% of roads are structurally deficient. Deteriorating and congested roads cost each motorist $500 per year, amounting to $3.4 billion per year for North Carolina drivers.
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