Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address
By John Horsley, Executive Director
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

“President Obama continues to show his strong support for infrastructure investment to provide good-paying jobs for Americans and to rebuild the transportation foundation that supports our economy.

“It was truly fitting that Rhode Island contractor Enrico DiGregorio was in the audience for the State of the Union address. The owner of DiGregorio Construction tells AASHTO that were it not for the recovery-funded projects his company has been involved with in his home state, he would not have been able to retain his current 100 employees and hire the 30 additional workers he added to the payroll last year.”

“It’s a gratifying feeling to be able to tell someone they can come back to work,” DiGregorio said. “The tough job is telling people hungry for work that you can’t hire them. Stimulus dollars have created real jobs that are helping real people.” (See DiGregorio’s interview at www.transportationtv.org.)

“Like DiGregorio, we urge Congress to keep the momentum going and invest in America’s transportation system. States are ready. Currently states have identified almost 10,000 additional transportation projects at a value of $79 billion that are waiting for the green light, if additional funds are provided.

“Through projects like these, state transportation departments have clearly led the way in creating good-paying jobs quickly under the economic recovery act. We’re prepared to go back to work again to support the economy and our way of life.”

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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the “Voice of Transportation” representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation.