COVID-19 Is Delaying Infrastructure Projects
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Along with the many other things not happening this year are a wide variety of infrastructure projects. A report released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association lays out the extent of the delays and even cancellations, reports ConstructionDive. A few of the numbers:
- About $9.6 billion in projects have been delayed or cancelled.
- 16 states have nixed or postponed projects worth about $5 billion.
- 20 local governments are responsible for the rest, at $4.54 billion.
- 44 states, transportation authorities and local governments expect to see a drop in revenues . . . which could translate into less funding for infrastructure down the road (so to speak).
Why infrastructure matters: One industry that relies on infrastructure is, of course, transportation. And very soon, transportation will help save our economy and public health: once the COVID-19 vaccine is ready, it must be distributed nationwide.
Right now, delivery companies like UPS, FedEx and DHL are bolstering their networks and capacity to ship medical goods in anticipation of the vaccine, Transport Topics reports. Here are some of the details:
- Preparations include building “freezer farms” capable of storing millions of doses of the vaccine at low temperatures. UPS has started work on two such facilities, while FedEx is adding at least 10 freezer facilities.
- The companies will also need a lot of dry ice, which keeps medical supplies cold during transport.
This will be the largest vaccine distribution effort in history. Preserving and improving our infrastructure means that future generations, when faced with other health challenges, will be able to distribute medicines easily. And meanwhile, it will enable manufacturers to keep the economy thriving as only they can.
NAM involvement: Last month, the NAM and 118 manufacturing organizations sent a letter to Congress urging it to pass a long-term surface transportation bill, in part because of the challenges surrounding COVID-19.
The big picture: The NAM has been an advocate for infrastructure reform long before the pandemic and will continue long after. NAM Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling recently made the comprehensive case for infrastructure investment in a blog for Trade Vista.
And for the full slate of NAM recommendations, check out its “Building to Win” plan for candidates and elected officials, which the NAM will keep promoting throughout the campaign season and during the next administration.
Related
Manufacturers Unveil Competitiveness Agenda Ahead of Midterm Elections
“Competing to Win” offers a path for bringing the country together around policies, shared values and a unified purpose
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the midterm elections, the National Association of Manufacturers released its policy roadmap, “Competing to Win,” a comprehensive blueprint featuring immediate solutions for bolstering manufacturers’ competitiveness. It is also a roadmap for policymakers on the laws and regulations needed to strengthen the manufacturing industry in the months and years ahead.
With the country facing rising prices, snarled supply chains and geopolitical turmoil, manufacturers are outlining an actionable competitiveness agenda that Americans across the political spectrum can support. “Competing to Win” includes the policies manufacturers in America will need in place to continue driving the country forward.
“‘Competing to Win’ offers a path for bringing our country together around policies, shared values and a unified purpose,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The NAM is putting forward a plan filled with ideas that policymakers could pursue immediately, including solutions to urgent problems, such as energy security, immigration reform, supply chain disruptions, the ongoing workforce shortage and more. Manufacturers have shown incredible resilience through difficult times, employing more workers now than before the pandemic, but continued resilience is not guaranteed without the policies that are critical to the state of manufacturing in America.”
The NAM and its members will leverage “Competing to Win” to shape policy debates ahead of the midterm elections, in the remainder of the 117th Congress and at the start of the 118th Congress—including in direct engagement with lawmakers, for grassroots activity, across traditional and digital media and through events in key states and districts as we did following the initial rollout of the roadmap in 2016.
The document focuses on 12 areas of action, and all policies are rooted in the values that have made America exceptional and keep manufacturing strong: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.
Learn more about how manufacturers are leading and about the industry’s competitiveness agenda at nam.org/competing-to-win.
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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org
