PPI Statement on the Senate Passage of the Landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

issue: Transportation & Infrastructure

PPI Statement on the Senate Passage of the Landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released the following statement:

“Today, the Senate passed a $1 trillion infrastructure package that, among other things, will upgrade the nation’s aging transportation systems and waterways, extend high-speed broadband to rural America, and help the United States outcompete China for economic and technological leadership in this century.

“Given the toxic tribalism that has infected Washington since 2016, the infrastructure deal struck by President Biden and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators is a landmark political achievement. If the House does its part and passes this bill, it will be an encouraging sign that Washington is back in the business of governing after a four-year detour into delusion and demagoguery.

“PPI applauds the president as well as Senators Kyrsten Sinema, Joe Manchin and Rob Portman for persevering through the long months of hard bargaining – not to mention carping from ideologues and partisan obstructionists in their own parties – to forge a compromise that serves the interests of all Americans.  We also thank the negotiators for including several commonsense reforms PPI had called for to control costs, prioritize the most beneficial projects, and give taxpayers the best bang for their buck. This is the kind of leadership our country needs to make our democracy work again.

“We hope Speaker Pelosi will reconvene the House and take up this vital national investment as soon as possible. We also believe it should not be held hostage to other important priorities that the White House and Democratic leaders have pledged to advance using the reconciliation process.”

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

Follow the Progressive Policy Institute.

###

New Report from PPI’s Innovation Frontier Project Outlines How Pollution is Hurting the American Workforce and Economy

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

This week, the Innovation Frontier Project, a project of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), released a new report from Claudia Persico, an economist and leading environmental and health policy expert, on how exposure to pollution and lead negatively impacts the American workforce and economy.

“Lead and other environmental pollutants are not only causing a public health crisis, but they are hurting the productive capacity of the American people. Children who might otherwise have grown up to invent a new supercomputer or to cure a disease are having their brain function impaired at an early age by these pollutants,” said Caleb Watney, Director of Innovation Policy at PPI.

As outlined in this must-read new report, exposure to pollutants can cause cognitive impairments, behavioral issues, and lower test scores among children. Over a lifetime, these deficits in human capital accrue through lower educational attainment, wages, and productivity. The prevalence of pollution exposure is a significant obstacle to improving health, education, and economic growth in the United States.

Persico argues Congress, the White House, and state governments should use a variety of strategies to target pollution remediation for communities that disproportionately live and attend school near pollution sites, or live near high-risk sites, or live in older homes with pipes and paint that release lead into the air and drinking water. Persico suggests regulators act quickly to:

Raise Clean Air Act standards to close racial gaps in pollution exposure

Change zoning laws to keep children, schools, and daycares away from toxic sites

Accelerate cleanup of Superfund, Toxic Release Inventory, and other toxic sites.

Remediate homes with flaking lead paint to reduce blood lead levels in children

Increase lead screenings for children and use results to target homes for remediation

Use infrastructure spending to replace HVAC systems in schools and lead pipes in homes

Read the report here:

 

Based in Washington, D.C. and housed in the Progressive Policy Institute, the Innovation Frontier Project explores the role of public policy in science, technology and innovation. The project is managed by Jack Karsten. Learn more by visiting innovationfrontier.org.

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

###

Media Contact: Aaron White – awhite@ppionline.org

PPI Statement on the Senate’s Infrastructure Breakthrough

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

Governing Breaks Out in Washington

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released the following statement by PPI President Will Marshall in reaction to the announcement of a deal on the bipartisan infrastructure framework:

“Bravo to President Biden and the bipartisan group of U.S. Senators who after weeks of hard bargaining reached a deal today on a $550 billion investment in modernizing America’s economic infrastructure.

“Special kudos to Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Rob Portman, who persevered in the face of skepticism and harsh criticism from obdurate partisans in their own parties to forge the agreement. The first-term Senator from Arizona and retiring veteran from Ohio showed our fractured country what real leadership and patriotism look like.

“We hope Democrats and pragmatic progressives will rally behind the agreement, which is worth supporting for three solid reasons:

“First, America urgently needs to repair and upgrade our country’s foundations for vibrant economic growth, innovation and competitiveness. The bill is not perfect – no legislative compromise ever is – but it’s what we need to get our country moving again and outcompete China for economic and technological leadership.

“Second, the deal fulfills President Biden’s pledge to govern for the good of all Americans, not just those who voted for him. He’s stood firm not only against the usual right-wing obstructionists, but also left-wing naysayers who confuse the search for political common ground with an abandonment of principle.

“Third, if Congress approves the agreement, it will send a powerful signal at home and abroad about the resilience of American democracy. For more than a decade, both parties have talked about going big on infrastructure to no result. Donald Trump, who fancied himself a master negotiator, got precisely nowhere on the issue over four chaotic years in office. In only six months, Biden and the Senate group have set the stage for bipartisan action to advance a critically important national interest.

“Now it’s up to the Senate and House to show that our democracy can deliver tangible benefits to the American people. We don’t underestimate the political obstacle course that must still be run to turn a promising legislative deal into reality. But that’s no reason not to cheer a long overdue outbreak of governing competence in Washington.”

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

Follow the Progressive Policy Institute.

###

Media Contact: Aaron White – awhite@ppionline.org

Weinstein and Marshall for USA Today: We need COVID-19 mandates to reach herd immunity. Start by requiring vaccine proof to fly.

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

This piece first appeared in USA Today. Read it here.

America is at a COVID-19 crossroads. For the first time since the highly effective vaccines became widely available in the spring, the new case rate is back on the rise due to the spread of the more contagious delta variant and the stalled effort to vaccinate people in many parts of the country. 

According to medical experts, reaching herd immunity will require that 70% to 90% of the U.S. population be fully vaccinated. But despite having enough vaccines available to inoculate every eligible American age 12 and up, just under 50% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated.

Worse, at the current vaccination rate of roughly 500,000 per day, it will take nine more months to cover just 75% of the population. This would give dangerous and more contagious COVID variants a chance to gain a foothold and perpetuate the pandemic.

Contain COVID at transportation hubs

President Joe Biden and COVID czar Jeff Zients deserve tremendous credit for making the COVID-19 vaccines widely available and bringing focus and discipline to the White House pandemic dysfunction they inherited from former President Donald Trump. But a reliance on incentives and awareness can only get us so far, especially when some irresponsible politicians have been stoking vaccine skepticism and outright hostility.

To get to herd immunity within a reasonable time frame, the Biden administration is going to need to add to its arsenal some targeted vaccine mandates— and the obvious first step is to require proof of vaccination when embarking on an airplane.

According to a number of legal experts, the president has the authority – from laws establishing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as the Commerce Clause of the Constitution – to require all airlines to ask ticket holders to provide proof of full vaccination.

By disrupting the spread of COVID-19 at transportation hubs where individuals gather and connect to other geographic regions, and by creating another incentive for adult vaccination, an airline vaccine requirement would help bring the pandemic to an end.

No doubt even a targeted mandate for airline passengers will stoke the outrage machine at Fox News and other right-wing propaganda outlets. Republicans eager for Trump’s favor and anti-vaxxers can be expected to decry any vaccine requirement as an attack on Americans’ basic “freedoms.”

Nowhere in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights will conservatives find a right to infect others with a deadly disease. In addition to defending our civil liberties, government is responsible for promoting the general welfare and protecting citizens from harm. No rational person considers requiring a license to drive a car or fly a plane a form of tyranny.

Citizens have responsibilities, too – to each other, their communities and their country. In times of war and other national emergencies, Americans have always proved willing to sacrifice their private interests and pursuits for the common good. Amid a resurgence of COVID-19 and pervasive vaccine hesitancy, we face just such an emergency today.

Treading cautiously isn’t working

That’s why it is deeply unpatriotic for anti-vaxxers to feed the public misinformation about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. It’s also reckless. More than 99% of people dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated, according to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

President Biden would be on solid ground in invoking the principle of mutual responsibility as a counter to the right’s strangely anti-social conception of freedom. A vaccine requirement for air passengers wouldn’t force anyone to get vaccinated; it would leave them to choose whether refusing the vaccine is more important to them than being able to fly.

In purely legal terms, the Biden administration is well within its authority to protect the health and safety of passengers and citizens. Politically, the president and the COVID-19 vaccines are already under attack by extremists, and this will only get worse should cases rise again and we see the return of mask mandates, such as the one just reinstated in Los Angeles County.

The debate over vaccinations is polarized, and the Biden administration has been right to tread cautiously. But if the best we can do under our current strategy is less than what we need for herd immunity, then reasonable, targeted mandates will be needed in order to end the pandemic and ensure the health and safety of all Americans.

Paul Weinstein Jr. is a senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and directs the M.A. program in public management at Johns Hopkins University. Will Marshall (@Will_PPI) is the president of the Progressive Policy Institute.

Goodman for The Hill: As talks on infrastructure continue, Congress must invest in the workers who will build it

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

As talks on a bipartisan infrastructure deal continue, it’s critical to our country’s ongoing economic recovery that workforce development funding – specifically the $100 billion set aside in the American Jobs Plan – not be sidelined. To ensure a labor market recovery for all American workers, including those who have been left behind in the past, we need to invest in employment opportunities for those who have struggled during the pandemic and those who face challenges, no matter the economic conditions.

Many signs point to a labor market in recovery. The current unemployment rate is 5.9 percent, down considerably from historic highs in 2020 but still above pre-pandemic levels. Last week, initial unemployment claims were at the lowest level since March 2020 — welcome progress thanks to the success of the administration’s American Rescue Plan and aggressive vaccination campaign.

But the recovery has remained uneven across education levels and for certain groups. The unemployment rate for Black, Hispanic and non-college educated workers follows past trends and is elevated compared to those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. In June 2021, the unemployment rate for those with a high school degree and no college was double (7 percent) that of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher (3.5 percent).

Long spells of unemployment and becoming disconnected from the labor market have profoundly negative effects on families’ overall economic security, including the children of those workers, and can stunt local economies. It is in everyone’s economic interest not just to provide opportunities for workers across the economic distribution but to ensure that our workforce development infrastructure prioritizes good outcomes. The pandemic recovery is an opportunity to make workforce development more inclusive.

Read the full piece in The Hill. 

Ritz for Forbes: The Challenge Of Paying For Senate Budget Bills

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

This article also appeared in Forbes

Senate Democrats have promised that both the $579 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework and the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint they are advancing this week will be “fully paid for.” While there’s a case for borrowing to finance the most pro-growth infrastructure investments when interest rates are low, lawmakers’ commitment to fiscal discipline is reassuring at a time when the national debt is at record levels and inflation concerns are heating up. But signs are emerging that lawmakers will struggle to keep that promise as they flesh out the details. The upcoming budget resolution is an important opportunity to begin developing clearer financing plans and safeguards to uphold the agreements.

 

President Joe Biden initially proposed tax increases on corporations and wealthy households that would raise roughly $3.3 trillion in new revenue over the next 10 years to finance his American Jobs and Families Plans. That revenue would almost be enough to pay for the $3.5 trillion in new spending agreed to by Senate Democratic leadership last week, but several key lawmakers have already called for reducing the scope of those tax hikes.

 

Meanwhile, on the spending side, the budget agreement incorporates provisions — such as a costly Medicare expansion — that weren’t included in either the Jobs or Families Plan. Negotiators have said they will keep the bill’s sticker price under $3.5 trillion by setting the duration of some programs, including an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, to arbitrarily expire after a few years. But this move would be nothing more than a gimmick: The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the package could cost up to $5.5 trillion over the coming decade if lawmakers allowed all the policies slated for inclusion in the budget blueprint to become permanent (as is clearly their ultimate intention).

 

Similar problems with fuzzy accounting plague the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework. For example, negotiators have said they will pay for $70 billion of spending by cutting fraud from unemployment benefits even though the Congressional Budget Office estimates that overpayments over the next decade will be less than half that amount. The framework also counts offsets such as selling the strategic petroleum reserve, which may need to be bought back at a higher price, and sales of spectrum that have already occurred or would occur under current law. The situation worsened over the weekend when Republicans demanded that increased funding to help the IRS collect unpaid taxes — one of the few legitimate sources of real revenue included in the bipartisan deal — be dropped from the package.                                                                                                           .

Some economists and politicians would argue that the policies in these packages don’t need to be paid for because they are public investments in the future. On the one hand, it makes sense to borrow from future generations to pay for investments they will benefit from, particularly when interest rates are low. But on the other, the federal government is currently on track to spend roughly $8 trillion more on ­programs that aren’t public investment than it will collect in taxes over the next decade, and some of the policies under discussion would further add to that category of spending. Interest rates are also likely to rise between now and when the money in these bills is actually spent. Even if lawmakers are content to borrow $4 trillion for public investment, they should pair it with $4 trillion of revenue to reduce the “consumption deficit” that no responsible leader can defend.

Deficit spending, even for worthwhile long-term investments, could also have negative short- and medium-term consequences if it occurs at a time when the economy is overheating. Much of the $2 trillion spent on the American Rescue Plan earlier this year was necessary to help our economy recover from the pandemic recession, but it has also likely contributed to higher-than-expected inflation. Although most economists believe these recent spikes are likely transitory, nobody can know for sure until later this year or early next. Lawmakers should therefore be wary of committing to a massive new spending bill in the near future before having a plausible plan for how to pay for it.

The Senate will soon vote on a budget resolution that includes instructions telling Congressional committees how much their policies can add to the deficit in a reconciliation bill (the legislative vehicle that will allow Democrats to pass their $3.5 trillion agreement without any Republican votes). Even though lawmakers could pass a reconciliation bill that increases the deficit by less than the amount allowed by the budget resolution, neither the American Rescue Plan nor the 2017 Trump tax cuts left anything on the table.

 

Therefore, if Congress is serious about paying for the upcoming spending bills, it should safeguard the agreement by passing a budget resolution that instructs the reconciliation process not to increase total budget deficits at all (there could still be some modest deficit-spending in a bipartisan infrastructure bill). Lawmakers must also eschew timing gimmicks that hide the true cost of the policies they are enacting and create uncertainty for working families who may plan their lives around new programs. A broader menu of revenue options, such as a carbon tax, inheritance tax, or progressive consumption tax, should be on the table to cover the costs of these policies. And if lawmakers cannot get consensus on a revenue package big enough to cover their spending ambitions, they should prioritize the most pro-growth public investments and cut what they are unwilling to pay for.

MORTIMER FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: RAIL AGAINST BUSINESS AS USUAL: YES, THE U.S. NEEDS BETTER TRAINS, BUT IT MUST INNOVATE TO GET THEM

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

Previously Published on New York Daily News

As Congressional lawmakers continue to debate the eventual contents of an infrastructure bill, much focus has rightfully been placed on the rail transportation portions of the package. According to the White House, the bipartisan infrastructure framework, if passed into law, will be “the largest federal investment in public transit in history and is the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak.” All told, the framework proposes $49 billion in public transit spending, which includes mass rapid transit, and $66 billion in passenger and freight rail spending.

The importance of these provisions cannot be understated. The low cost of rail travel along certain routes means that it is one of the most equitable forms of transportation America has at its disposal. Along routes such as the Northeast Corridor, it is the most time-efficient. It is also one of the cleanest: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, rail transit has on average less than one-third the carbon footprint of private automobile travel and less than half the carbon footprint of bus transit.

However, despite the promise of rail, for decades America has struggled to expand and invest in it efficiently and affordably. California’s high-profile attempt to build a high-speed rail line ended tens of billions of dollars over budget and hundreds of miles short of its original vision to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. The cost-per-mile to expand commuter rail in New York City is the most expensive of any mass transportation system in the world. Amtrak’s marquee high-speed rail service, Acela, in fact takes longer to go from New York to D.C. than its predecessor Metroliner did decades ago.

Click here to read the full piece in New York Daily News

PPI Statement on Infrastructure Deal Breakthrough

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

Today, a bipartisan group of Senators and the White House reached a deal on a major $1.2 trillion infrastructure overhaul, which will help America recover economically from the pandemic and rebuild our failing roads, bridges and dams.

Will Marshall, President and Founder of the Progressive Policy Institute, released the following statement:

“The greatest challenge facing President Biden and his party is to show they can govern our country effectively after four wasted years of Donald Trump’s divisive and incompetent presidency. They need to prove to doubters here and around the world that democracy can deliver.

“Now the President has negotiated a deal with Senate Democrats and Republicans for a massive national push to modernize America’s aging economic infrastructure.

“The magnitude of this accomplishment should not be understated. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework would roughly double federal infrastructure spending over the next eight years, including a big and well-targeted investment in rural broadband. Crucially, it will lay new foundations for the inclusive innovation and growth our country needs to reduce inequality and win the contest with China for economic and technological leadership.

“The bipartisan deal also fulfills Biden’s central campaign pledge — to govern in the interests of all Americans, including those who didn’t vote for him. Democrats shouldn’t forget that Biden’s promise to bridge rather than deepen the nation’s political and cultural divides was key to his 2020 election.

“Nonetheless, Sen. Bernie Sanders has declared he won’t back the bipartisan deal. That’s his prerogative. But Democrats should stand with President Biden.

“We’re also disappointed that some important features of the White House’s original jobs plan were dropped in the difficult negotiations with Capitol Hill lawmakers. But that’s part of the normal give and take of representative democracy.

“We have no doubt that the President will continue to push for additional investments in scientific research, clean energy, and strengthening social programs for children in need. We hope that any reconciliation bill passed to supplement this agreement will be fiscally responsible and encourage the White House to consider a broader package of revenue-raising options.

“On the whole, however, we think it is good for the nation’s democratic health to see bargaining, horse-trading, and compromise return to Washington.

“Democrats shouldn’t heed the demands of left-wing purists who are better at making maximalist demands than winning majority support for them. It was the pragmatic Joe Biden, after all, who flipped five states from red to blue and soundly defeated Trump by more than seven million votes.

“He won the popular mandate, not his dogmatic critics. That’s why Democrats should give President Biden the benefit of the doubt and seize this opportunity to deliver concrete benefits to the American people.”

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

Follow the Progressive Policy Institute.

###

Congresswoman Sharice Davids Joins PPI’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

On this week’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast, Crystal Swann, Senior Policy Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and Mosaic Economic Project lead, and Francella Ochillo, a Mosaic Economic Project Cohort Member, attorney and digital rights advocate, sit down with Representative Sharice Davids, D-Ks., to discuss the impact of the coronavirus on women business owners, entrepreneurs and workers.

“It’s been disheartening – although I don’t know that I would call it super surprising – to see that the pandemic and the impacts of a public health crisis, that has turned into also an economic crisis, has disproportionately impacted women…financially, in the workforce when it comes to child care, access to health care…Every single aspect of life has been disrupted by the pandemic.

“Particularly Black women and other women of color have been disproportionately negatively impacted. It’s something that – at least in the Democratic Caucus in Congress – we started talking about almost immediately. Because like I said, it’s disheartening and heartbreaking but it’s also not as surprising. And that’s because a lot of us know the negative impacts and disproportionate impacts that women experience anyway,” said Rep. Davids on the podcast.

Congresswoman Davids serves as a Vice Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and also serves on the Small Business, Joint Economic, and the Steering and Policy Committees. Additionally, she is the New Democrat Coalition’s Member Services Vice Chair. She is currently serving in her second term of Congress.

In addition to the economic impact of the pandemic on communities of color and women, Rep. Davids and the hosts discuss the ongoing negotiations over the upcoming infrastructure legislative packages — the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan. They also dive into Rep. Davids’ background as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.

Listen here and subscribe:

This podcast was in partnership with PPI’s Mosaic Economic Project.  The Mosaic Economic Project is a network of diverse and highly credentialed women in fields of economics and technology. Mosaic programming focuses on upskilling, connecting, and advocating for cohort participants’ meaningful engagement in  public policy debates, with a particular focus on engaging Congress and the media.

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

Follow the Progressive Policy Institute.

Follow the Mosaic Economic Project.

###

The Future of Mobility: Navigating the Data Value Chain

The Future of Mobility: Navigating the Data Value Chain

Hosted by the Mack Institute for Innovation Management at Wharton University

The ability to move people and goods easily is key for thriving in business and society today. The worldwide disruption caused by mobility restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic is stark proof. At this conference, the Mack Institute will bring together industry professionals, researchers, and policy experts, and will explore current mobility challenges, such as the pandemic’s impact on ride-hailing and public transit, as well as opportunities.

Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Time: 1:30-2:20 p.m.

Panel:

Scott Snyder
Senior Fellow, Mack Institute for Innovation Management; Adjunct Faculty, Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

Michael Mandel 
Senior Fellow, Mack Institute for Innovation Management; Chief Economic Strategist, Progressive Policy Institute

 

Webinar Link Coming Soon!

Funding Clean and Green Energy, with Special Guest Rep. Jim Himes

 

Join the Progressive Policy Institute for a conversation with PPI’s Paul Bledsoe, climate leaders, and Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) on ways America can finance new, innovative investments in clean energy projects across the country. 

WHEN: Wednesday, June 2, 2pm ET

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04)

PANEL: PPI’s Paul Bledsoe and Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank

Watch the event here

PODCAST: Rep. Kilmer Celebrates Star Wars Day and Talks Reinvesting in R&D

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

In a Star Wars Day-themed Radically Pragmatic podcast episode, Caleb Watney, Director of Innovation Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, sits down with Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) – Congress’s top Star Wars super-fan – for Star Wars trivia, and an exciting conversation on the future of technology innovation in America.

Caleb and Rep. Kilmer dig deep into their shared love of Sci-Fi, and talk about how fiction helps inspire technology improvements and innovations that can become a reality. Representative Kilmer also calls for more Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and apprenticeship opportunities and a reinvestment in research and development funding.

Listen here.

PODCAST: Rep. Stacey Plaskett Talks Infrastructure and COVID-19 Recovery on Radically Pragmatic

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

On this week’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast, PPI President Will Marshall and Center for New Liberalism Policy Director Jeremiah Johnson sit down with Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the United States Virgin Islands’ at-large congressional district. Congresswoman Plaskett serves on the House Ways and Means, Agriculture and Budget Committees, and is a leadership member of the New Democrat Coalition.

They discuss the New Democrat Coalition’s 100 Days Agenda, and the need for continued coronavirus relief and recovery measures – especially for regions like the Virgin Islands. Additionally, Congresswoman Plaskett outlines the critical nature of the  American Jobs Plan, and the need to invest in long-term resiliency measures like job training, infrastructure development and clean energy.

Listen on Anchor.

Listen on Spotify.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Weinstein for Boston Herald: President should take cue from Moulton’s high-speed rail plan

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan includes $80 billion for passenger rail but never mentions the term “high speed rail.” But don’t be fooled. The plan, if enacted would be the biggest investment in intercity rail in U.S. history, and the largest share of those dollars will go to fund high speed rail.

While the details remain scarce, here is where most of the money for high speed rail will come from.

First, $39 billion is proposed for Northeast Corridor modernization. Most funding that goes to the Northeast Corridor will significantly improve times for the Acela’s new lighter and faster train-sets.

How much time? The new trains can reach a top speed of 160 miles per hour (vs. 150 MPH for today’s trains) and can take curves at 30% higher speeds (due to higher tilting capability). However, without better rail infrastructure, these rail thoroughbreds will be racing in mud. Fortunately, the $39 billion proposed by the Biden administration is enough to upgrade key parts of the corridor (such as the B&P tunnel in Baltimore, built in 1873) and get the rest of the line in good condition. Together this would shorten the trip from Washington to NYC to 2 hours and 10 minutes and cut NYC to Boston by 45 minutes — making the Acela a true high speed train.

But the Biden plan doesn’t stop there. The president’s budget is also proposing $20 billion for intercity rail passenger rail, most of which will likely be invested in new high speed rail corridors in places like Texas, Florida and California.

While $20 billion is almost three times more than the Obama administration got for high speed rail, it still is only a fraction of what is needed. Congressman Seth Moulton, a former managing director with the Texas Central Railway, is the chief sponsor of legislation that would invest $205 billion in high speed rail, including one that would connect Houston to Dallas. While it is unclear if Congress is willing to fund that amount, the Biden administration should adopt three core strategies from the Moulton plan.

Read the full piece in the Boston Herald.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James join PPI’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

On this week’s Radically Pragmatic Podcast, PPI President Will Marshall and Senior Policy Fellow Crystal Swann sit down with Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), a former Mayor of Tacoma, and Sly James, former Mayor of Kansas City.

They discuss a new “metro-federalism” – the role of local leaders in effectively deploying the public resources provided by Congress in the American Rescue Plan Act, and how mayors will support the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 relief and recovery goals – often as Republican-controlled state legislatures are hostile to the new Democratic administration.

The leaders also discussed the American Jobs Plan, the Biden Administration’s next phase of the Build Back Better agenda, which will invest billions in traditional and human infrastructure so we can get every American – including women – back to work and back on track.

“We think about infrastructure as very traditionally roads, bridges, mass transit, sewers, et cetera. Now it includes broadband, now it includes affordable housing, and now it also includes what I call the “continuum of care-giving” – the way we care for our youngest and the way we care for our eldest, because when we talk about infrastructure as job creation, that is very male-dominated for a few reasons. But when we talk about the care-giving infrastructure, now we’re talking about more participation by women, and this is important because COVID has just disproportionately affected women’s participation in the workplace and on top of that women of color’s participation in the workplace. So we’re going to have a truly equitable and inclusive sustainable economic recovery, we have to look at the care-giving infrastructure as part of our holistic approach to how we invest in infrastructure,” said Rep. Marilyn Strickland on the podcast.

Listen here, and subscribe:

 

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

Follow the Progressive Policy Institute.

###

PODCAST: Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland and Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James on the need for Metro-federalism

Posted on by The Progressive Policy Institute

PPI President Will Marshall and Senior Policy Fellow Crystal Swann sit down with Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), a former Mayor of Tacoma, and Sly James, former Mayor of Kansas City.

They discuss a new “metro-federalism” – the role of local leaders in effectively deploying the public resources provided by Congress in the American Rescue Plan Act, and how mayors will support the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 relief and recovery goals – often as Republican-controlled state legislatures are hostile to the new Democratic administration.

The leaders also discussed the American Jobs Plan, the Biden Administration’s next phase of the Build Back Better agenda, which will invest billions in traditional and human infrastructure so we can get every American – including women – back to work and back on track.

Listen now on Anchor.

Listen now on Spotify.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.