WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI) this week joined 159 House Republicans in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to immediately reconsider the radical budget reconciliation bill that would exacerbate existing U.S. supply chain issues that are crippling critical industries Americans depend on daily.
Excerpt from the letter:
“As House Republicans, we write because we refuse to stand by and watch as your Administration dilutes America’s ability to ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods, people, and services throughout our transportation network. House Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to work on bipartisan solutions to improve our infrastructure. We regret that our efforts have been spurned as Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, and your Administration use infrastructure as a Trojan horse to push radical polices that make it more difficult and expensive for families to find or afford basic goods and for businesses to continue the long road to recovery from the pandemic.
“We must address the global supply chain and ports crisis before Congress even considers additional social spending and taxation legislation. Our priority right now should be strengthening our Nation’s economy and increasing our global competitiveness. The policies of your Presidency and party’s leaders in Congress are exacerbating or simply ignoring the underlying supply chain crisis. These policies include the mishandling of the COVID response in ways that are prolonging unemployment and worker shortages across the economy, to your push for a multi-trillion-dollar spending spree that is driving up prices of everything from gas to groceries. These efforts only serve to weaken American competitiveness and shrink our economy, and they will certainly ensure that this Christmas will not be merry.
“The current supply chain crisis exposes how close to its limit our transportation system operates. There is little redundant capacity. Once bottlenecks develop, cargo backs up and remains stranded offshore on ships that overcrowd the coastline, creating additional safety and environmental risks. For example, clustering a large number of container ships waiting to be unloaded increases the risk of large anchors damaging our underwater infrastructure, such as pipelines. This unfortunately was likely the case with the recent Huntington Beach oil spill. Rather than responding to an oil spill, prevention is the best way to avoid environmental damage. We believe this environmental and economic harm could have been avoided in the first place had this Congress and this Administration remained focused on our core transportation network assets. Yet, this oil spill is emblematic of the harm your party’s policies are creating for America’s broader infrastructure network and the economy.”
Original source can be found here.
