AFT’s Weingarten Heralds Passage of Pathbreaking Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after the House passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

“This bill is a triumph for working people, the economy and the nation. It will better the life of each and every American and stands as a breakthrough after years of talk and bluster about infrastructure, but precious little action. 

“Today, that changed: it shows what we can achieve when we bridge divides and work together to find solutions for the American people. This bill will get lead out of water and repair leaky tunnels. It will pipe broadband into millions of homes that sorely need it. And it’s going to restore our crumbling roads and create millions of new jobs.

“Both progressive and moderates worked constructively with the speaker and the president to find a way to make this a reality. Now, we have the wind at our backs—we are dealing with COVID, adding jobs, and have a second page of history about to be written: child and elder care, pre-K, and climate action in the Build Back Better Act. Let’s celebrate tonight’s vote and continue to deliver for the American people who’ve been through so much and yearn to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”