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WHEREAS, our infrastructure is the foundation upon which our country stands-it is the backbone of our economy-and we are collectively responsible for securing and preserving it; and,
WHEREAS, fixing our broken infrastructure will create jobs, increase efficiencies, address climate change, and make our communities safer, healthier, and more secure; and,
WHEREAS, for generations, Americans have worked together to build these fundamental systems of roads, transit, pipes, electrical lines, communication systems, and public buildings-like our schools and libraries-and now we must work together again to repair them; and,
WHEREAS, human activity is directly contributing to the rapidly-changing climate and putting additional stress on these vital systems and we need to take action now; and,
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is the third-largest contributor to climate change in the country; and,
WHEREAS, the American Society of Civil Engineers has given America's infrastructure systems a “D+” grade overall, and efforts to repair these basic systems will create economic opportunity, save money and reduce carbon pollution; and,
WHEREAS, 42 percent of America's major urban highways remain congested, costing the economy an estimated $101 billion in wasted time and fuel annually, earning our roads and bridges “D” and “C+” grades respectively; and,
WHEREAS, failing to increase investment in our roads and bridges would cost American families an extra $1,060 per year through lower wages and increased costs, and cost the American economy 877,000 jobs; and,
WHEREAS, our nation's water infrastructure, some of which is more than a century old, is bursting at the seams with an estimated 745 to 850 water main breaks every day in the U.S.; and,
WHEREAS, increasing adoption of smart grid technologies-computer-based, automated systems for the delivery of electricity-in our energy system has led to additional investment in recent years and will significantly reduce...
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