"Today, there are billions of dollars of federal investments ready to go into modernizing our nation’s roads, bridges, railways, and ports. But these critical projects could sit idle for years. And that is time we do not have."
In a speech Tuesday as part of Infrastructure Week, Suzanne P. Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, stressed the impact of permit delays on the U.S. economy and competitiveness as she emphasized the need for permitting reform.
The U.S. Chamber launched its Permit America to Build campaign this spring, urging Congress to pass durable, meaningful reforms to the nation's outdated permitting laws by the end of summer.
Her remarks came at a United for Infrastructure event organized by Accelerator for America Action.
"At the U.S. Chamber, we know that America is a great and capable nation—the recent historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure are further proof of that. And all stakeholders—business, government, labor, and more—have to get behind a plan to do the work to advance it," Clark said.
"We cannot afford to squander this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We need to make it possible to build. It’s time to put our investment to work."
Read Clark's full speech.
