ICYMI: Des Moines Mayor Pens Op-ed Highlighting the Need for President Biden's American Jobs Plan

This week, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie penned a Des Moines Register op-ed touting President Biden's American Jobs Plan, writing that "Des Moines and Iowa stand to benefit greatly" from the historic investments the plan would make in our nation's infrastructure.

In the op-ed, Mayor Cownie underscored the dire need for infrastructure investments in Iowa, which "received a C" in the most recent infrastructure report card released by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The mayor also outlined the benefits of the American Jobs Plan in Des Moines and communities across the country, writing: "The city of Des Moines will benefit from this once-in-a-century influx of capital across the board. Iowa counts 4,571 bridges and hundreds of miles of highway in poor condition; there is no shortage of projects to invest the funds in. Since 2011, commute times have increased by nearly 7% in Iowa, and on average, each driver pays $336 per year in additional vehicle repair costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The American Jobs Plan will devote more than $600 billion to transform our nations' transportation infrastructure and make it more resilient, including $115 billion to repair and modernize roads and bridges."

A fact sheet on the urgent need for the investments proposed by President Biden in the American Jobs Plan in Iowa can be found here.

Read the full op-ed below.

Des Moines Register: Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie: Biden plan invests in infrastructure to benefit Iowans
[Frank Cownie, 6/3/2021]

The end of the coronavirus pandemic in sight, and the Biden administration continues to take swift and bold action, putting forth a series of historic investment proposals aiming to rebuild and boost America's economy. Des Moines and Iowa stand to benefit greatly from the president's American Jobs Plan.

In the most recent infrastructure report card released by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Iowa received a C. The American Jobs Plan aims to address America's infrastructure, improving highways, broadband access, veterans' health, and everything in between.

The American Jobs Plan proposes a series of capital investments at a crucial time in our history. The comprehensive proposal would both restore America's economy and help position America to out-compete China. Bolstering our investments in research and development are critical so we can make 21st-century products and create good-paying union jobs. Manufacturers account for nearly 19% of total output in Iowa, employing 228,000 workers, or 14% of the state's workforce.

Because this is a top priority, the American Jobs Plan will invest $300 billion to retool and revitalize American manufacturers.

The plan will also increase access to rural and historically underserved communities and make America's transportation system safer and more dependable. Des Moines residents who take public transportation spend an extra 30% of their time commuting, and households of color are nearly four times more likely to commute via public transportation. The American Jobs Plan will modernize public transit with an $85 billion investment.

Structural issues such as the quality of bridges, rails and highways combined with extreme weather conditions such as snowstorms, heavy rainfall, and extreme temperature swings make infrastructure improvements crucial for the safety and well-being of our community. From 2010 to 2020, Iowa has experienced 32 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $50 billion in damage. The president is calling for $50 billion to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support communities' recovery from disaster.

The proposed investments are presented in a forward-looking way that will not only create jobs, but also advance equity and recommit to combating climate change. As of 2019, there were 32,057 Iowans working in clean energy, and the American Jobs Plan invests in creating more good-paying union jobs advancing clean energy production by extending and expanding tax credits for clean energy generation, carbon capture and sequestration and clean energy manufacturing.

The city of Des Moines will benefit from this once-in-a-century influx of capital across the board. Iowa counts 4,571 bridges and hundreds of miles of highway in poor condition; there is no shortage of projects to invest the funds in. Since 2011, commute times have increased by nearly 7% in Iowa, and on average, each driver pays $336 per year in additional vehicle repair costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The American Jobs Plan will devote more than $600 billion to transform our nations' transportation infrastructure and make it more resilient, including $115 billion to repair and modernize roads and bridges.

A crucial component of infrastructure in today's interconnected world is broadband. Americans need high-quality dependable broadband access to compete within and outside of our borders. The American Jobs Plan would invest $100 billion to bring universal, reliable, high-speed, and affordable coverage to every family in America. Today, more than 13% of Iowans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds. In addition, 61% of Iowans live in areas where there is only one such provider. Even where infrastructure is available, broadband may be too expensive to be within reach. It is unacceptable that 16% of Iowa households do not have an internet subscription, and I commend President Biden for making this a key priority.

Iowa is home to over 206,000 veterans, 7% of whom are women and 53% of whom are over the age of 65. The president is calling for $18 billion to improve the infrastructure of Veterans Affairs health care facilities to ensure the delivery of world-class, state-of-the-art care to veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. This includes improvements to ensure appropriate care for women and older veterans.

I applaud President Biden's leadership and look forward to working together to improve our infrastructure and economy for Des Moines, Iowa, and all Americans.

Frank Cownie has served as Des Moines mayor since 2004.