TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Federal Government is working on a plan to spend about a trillion dollars to repair crumbling roads and bridges, boost internet access and upgrade a lot of the systems that make our modern life possible. Today Senator Mark Kelly asked local officials what they want to see in that plan.
Congress is about to spend a lot of money on infrastructure---the basic systems that help our country function. But which projects will be the best for Southern Arizona?
Better roads are one type of infrastructure most people would recognize. They support the economy and help people and products get where they need to be. But infrastructure includes projects like water systems to assure an adequate supply of clean water for people, crops and industry.
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has been listening to local leaders about the projects they’d like to see happen here.
He says besides they also want to see improvements to the ports of entry that boost the economy by allowing an efficient flow of trade back and forth from Mexico.
“One of the things that surprised me that came up more than once: Amtrak, getting a commuter Amtrak, the ability to go from here to Phoenix on a commuter train that requires an infrastructure improvement not exactly here, but closer to Phoenix with a spur that goes into downtown.”
The infrastructure plan developed by the White House and a group of Senators calls for a Trillion dollars in spending over eight years.
There will be competition over where the money goes, as advocates work to get the full House and Senate to approve the plan but Senator Kelly says he’s confident help for America’s critical infrastructure will get through.
“There are always bumps in the road, when you're trying to do stuff as big as fixing our nation's infrastructure, we all realize, I'll tell you what 100 United States senators will agree that we have failing infrastructure and we need to do something about it.”
