LATEST SENATE REPUBLICAN INFRASTRUCTURE ‘PLAN’ IS A NON-STARTER. CONGRESS MUST NOW FOCUS ON PASSING THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN

Washington, D.C. – After more than a month of negotiations, Senate Republicans have repeatedly failed to put forward a serious infrastructure plan that creates millions of good paying jobs, invests in clean energy, and tackles the climate crisis. In addition, they insist on making children, rural communities and the middle class – not huge corporations and the wealthiest Americans – pay to upgrade our dangerously outdated and failing infrastructure. Their approach is fundamentally unfair, unacceptable, inadequate, and is preventing Congress from focusing on passing the American Jobs Plan. 

This so-called offer is a mere 9.5 percent of the investments and incentives called for in the American Jobs Plan. And, according to the Center for American Progress, it would increase pollution.

In response to the Senate Republicans’ latest offer, Climate Power executive director Lori Lodes issued the following statement:

“The latest Senate Republican ‘plan’ is a non-starter. We need to keep our economy growing, we need to invest in jobs, and we have to take on climate change. Instead, the Republican plan fails to deliver jobs, increases pollution, and makes the climate crisis worse. This is our climate moment, and the American Jobs Plan is what we need to create millions of good-paying jobs and build a clean energy future. 

“It’s clear that Republicans simply are not willing to make the investments our country needs and that voters from both parties overwhelmingly support. Congress must meet this moment and pass the American Jobs Plan.” 

New Polling Out Today Shows Strong Support for Climate Policies in the American Jobs Plan, Disappointment if These Priorities Are Left Out

Today, Navigator Research and Climate Power released new polling showing that climate policies within President Biden’s American Jobs Plan are extremely popular across party lines. With three quarters of Americans saying climate change is a problem now and for future generations, 78 percent agree that America should make significant investments in clean energy as part of our efforts to rebuild the economy. 

These policies are high priorities with potential political consequences — bipartisan majorities said they would be disappointed if these climate policies were left out of the final infrastructure bill. People of color, Democrats, young people, and Biden voters would be especially disappointed. Across parties, Americans say they would be most disappointed if modernizing the electric grid, expanding clean energy, and creating new jobs to conserve public spaces were left out of the American Jobs Plan. 

ou can find complete results and more information on this joint Navigator Research-Climate Power survey here.

You can find complete results and more information on this joint Navigator Research-Climate Power survey here.