The following is a statement by Feniosky Peña-Mora, P.E., Sc.D., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):
WASHINGTON, DC. – President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress tonight outlined the administration’s plans for driving economic American prosperity now and for generations to come, and one of the most tested drivers for economic growth continues to be investing the infrastructure systems that American families and businesses rely on. ASCE supports President Trump’s commitment to improving Americans’ quality of life and strongly believe that infrastructure investments should be highlighted as a key priority of his domestic agenda for improving the safety and quality of life for Americans.
Every four years, ASCE releases its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which assesses 18 categories of infrastructure by measuring its current condition and long-term outlooks. ASCE will be releasing the 2025 Report Card on March 25th, four years after its 2021 Report Card assigned the nation’s built environment a cumulative grade of “C minus,” a grade that is not adequate for supporting the next era of American excellence and global competitiveness. What the Report Card has clearly illustrated for the past two and a half decades, is that the nation’s infrastructure systems are the backbone of a safe and secure United States and that when we invest in our infrastructure systems, American families benefit, American businesses thrive, and American communities are protected from the impacts of severe weather events and man-made hazards.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle understand the importance of an efficient transportation network, secure water systems, and reliable electricity for a strong economy, safe country, and the public’s welfare. We cannot support advancements in the automotive, manufacturing or tech industries, as were discussed in tonight’s address, without the ability to keep the power on, or products reaching consumers in a timely manner. We depend on these functions to maintain affordable prices, as consumers bear the costs of traffic delays and manufacturing disruptions caused by infrastructure failures.
ASCE not only strongly encourages the administration to maintain current infrastructure funding levels, but also asks state and local governments along with the private sector to prioritize further investments in the sector, along with research and development into innovative materials, processes and technologies that can revitalize our current infrastructure and identify solutions for current and future needs. Supporting the nation’s research and development is critical if the United States is going to be the worldwide leader to foster advancements that reduce the costs and time spent on infrastructure projects in the future. We need the collective participation of every public and private entity to ensure our built environment can support the strongest economy in the world for decades to come.
About the American Society of Civil Engineers
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 160,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.