Voters: Federal Government Should Pay to Repair Infrastructure

The nation’s infrastructure has gotten worse over the last five years and the Federal government should bear the primary responsibility for funding repairs, according to a recent survey of 2,000 registered voters.
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The nation’s infrastructure has gotten worse over the last five years and the Federal government should bear the primary responsibility for funding repairs, according to a recent survey of 2,000 registered voters.

Forty-six percent of respondents to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers think that U.S. infrastructure is in extreme need of repair. When asked who should pay for those repairs, 49 percent of survey respondents said the federal government. 

AEM said the poll shows that there is general agreement among Democrats, Independents and Republicans about the poor quality of roads, bridges and energy grids, with 92 percent of the registered voters indicating that roads are in extreme need.

Nearly one in seven registered voters also thinks an increase in federal funding for infrastructure would have a positive impact on the economy.

Notable differences emerged between the parties, however, over the role of the federal government in funding infrastructure. A clear majority of Democrats – 54 percent – said the federal government holds the primary responsibility for funding infrastructure. But four out of every 10 Republicans think that the federal government “has a role to play.”

Both Presidential Candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Donald Trump have spoken about the need to invest in the nation’s infrastructure as a way to kickstart economic growth during their campaign appearances.

Hillary Clinton has said that she would propose to Congress a $275 billion infrastructure plan in her first 100 days in office. Clinton's plan would use new revenue from reforming the corporate tax code to pay for new projects and create a $25 billion infrastructure bank. She also wants to reauthorize the Build America bonds program, which the Obama Administration implemented during its first term as part of the 2009 stimulus program. The program is designed to help facilitate state and local government financing of projects.

Donald Trump has stated in numerous speeches that he supports a vast infrastructure investment program, promising a "trillion-dollar rebuilding program" to improve the nation's transportation infrastructure. His campaign has not yet released concrete proposals, however.

NATSO continues to advocate for an increase to the 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax and the 24.4 cents per gallon federal diesel tax.

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