Here & Now

The Federal Infrastructure Package and Wisconsin

Frederica Freyberg:

In Washington, President Joe Biden is expected to sign the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law on Monday. For Wisconsin, that includes $5.2 billion over five years for highways, $592 million for public transit, $100 million to expand broadband internet and $841 million for water infrastructure, including the removal of lead pipes. The bill passed the House of Representatives last week with all Wisconsin Republican members of Congress voting against the spending. We reached out to multiple GOP U.S. representatives to talk about their opposition, but they declined. In a statement, Fifth District Congressman Scott Fitzgerald said this. “The Democrat Party needs to rein in their out-of-control spending. The American people cannot afford the debt of their socialist agenda. All Wisconsin congressional Democrats voted in favor, including Democratic U.S. Representative Gwen Moore of Milwaukee and she joins us now and thanks very much for being here.

Gwen Moore:

Thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

We just referenced that more than $840 million will be coming to Wisconsin for water infrastructure, including the removal of lead pipes. What will that mean for Milwaukee in the very near future?

Gwen Moore:

Well, I find it very exciting, because I’ve been buying water. Once I learned that my first great grandchild was to be born, her mom, my granddaughter showed me the brown water that was coming out of the faucet in her apartment, and I’ve been buying water since then. You know, we have seen, scientists have indicated to us that no amount of lead is safe for children, and they have lowered the indicators for it.

Frederica Freyberg:

How long overdue is this kind of investment, in your mind?

Gwen Moore:

Well, you know, I mean, we’ve had infrastructure week every week under President Donald Trump. And it never happened. It got to be the standing joke. Of course, 20 or 30 years, don’t take my word for it, Frederica. The engineer, the Professional Engineers Association has graded our infrastructure as a D+. And the bridge we saw falling in Minneapolis is just one of 850 bridges in that same sort of condition. The supply chain issue that people are screaming about, we’re going to address this in the Build Back Better bill. We’re going to upgrade ports, airports. And this is part of the reason that there’s such a backup in the supply chain. And so, again, it’s really confusing why — and I’m disappointed that Wisconsin Republicans joined in by not voting for it. On the other side of it, the 13 Republicans who did vote for infrastructure have been threatened, their lives have been threatened, and so, you know, if people did not vote for it because they’re feeling cowardly, I guess I can understand it given the backlash from the sort of Trump atmosphere that he’s created around not giving Joe Biden or Democrats a win. This is a win for the American people, actually.

Frederica Freyberg:

Next week you will vote on the nearly $2 trillion social spending bill. Briefly, what are the most important prongs of that for you?

Gwen Moore:

First of all, I challenge your notion that it’s a social spending bill. It too is an investment in our economy. The best way to increase our GDP is to invest in people. And this is what this bill will do. You know, one of the things that it does just right off the top of my head, this provides the enhanced earned income tax credit. As I’ve said before, we are literally are taxing people into poverty, low-wage workers into poverty. Their tax obligations taxes them into poverty. This enhanced earned income tax credit, it is a way to not only keep them from being in poverty, but giving them more money to add to our GDP. As you know, Frederica, 70% of our economy is consumption. So if people don’t have money, they cannot spend. There’s no point in having a big demand if there’s no one who can actually purchase your products. Health care. We’re going to reduce the cost of health care for people through that bill through enhancing the Affordable Care Act, so-called Obamacare. We’re going to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. And so while this is not physical money in people’s pockets, it is an investment in them to enable them to interact in the marketplace more adequately.

Frederica Freyberg:

We need to leave it there. We will be watching that. U.S. Representative Gwen Moore, thanks very much for joining us.

Gwen Moore:

And thank you, too, Frederica.