SPEAKING.
WE WANT TO HE GET TO SOMETHING
ELSE THIS MORNING.
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH THE NATION'S
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE
INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR COUNTRY IS
CRUMBLING.
THE LATEST EFFORT IN WASHINGTON
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE
CHRONIC PROBLEM HAS ENDED IN
FAILURE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WALKED OUT ON A
MEETING WITH HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY
PELOSI AND SENATE MINORITY
LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER LAST MONTH.
WOULD AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
PRODUCE JOBS WE NEED HERE IN
AMERICA?
LET'S BRING IN BEN BRUBACK, VICE
PRESIDENT OF REGULATORY LABOR
AND STATE AFFAIRS.
GOOD MORNING.
I APOLOGIZE IF WE HAVE TO BREAK
IN FOR ANY COVERAGE OF THE
PRESIDENT AS HE IS SET TO SPEAK
IN FRANCE.
WE TALK ABOUT FREEDOM NOT BEING
FREE.
OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS
COUNTRY IS CRUMBLING OVER THE
DECADES THAT WE'VE SEEN IT
REALLY BUILT UP AFTER WORLD WAR
II.
AND NOW YOU SAY THAT THIS WOULD
BRING AMERICAN JOBS TO OUR
COUNTRY.
HOW MANY, DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IS DEAD AS
YOU SAID AND THE REAL LOSERS ARE
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
WE'VE GOT ROADS AND BRIDGES AND
PORTS IN DISREPAIR.
WE'VE GOT A $2.610 TRILLION YEAR
INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIT ON TOP OF
WHAT WE SPEND ON INFRASTRUCTURE
EVERY YEAR.
WE KNOW THAT ABOUT FOR EVERY
$1 BILLION WE INVEST IN
INFRASTRUCTURE CREATES 6300
JOBS.
SO DO THE MATH.
CERTAINLY ANY INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT WILL BE WELCOME.
IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
AMERICANSS WANT A RELIABLE, SAFE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE REAL
QUESTION IS WHERE DO WE GO FROM
HERE.
CHERYL: LET'S GO BACK IN
HISTORY REMEMBER WHEN PRESIDENT
OBAMA WAS TOUTING, TRYING TO
SELL TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND
TO THE REPUBLICANS HIS
INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING BILL AND
MANY SAY THAT THAT ACT ACTUALLY
WASN'T EFFECTIVE IN HIRING.
THERE WAS A BRIDGE IN NEW YORK,
THE ALEXANDER HAMILTON BRIDGE,
WE FOUND OUT LATER ON IT WAS
ACTUALLY A CHINESE ENGINEERING
FIRM THAT WAS HIRED TO OVERSEE
THE REPAIRS ON THAT BRIDGE.
WE'VE SEEN THE SAME THING HAPPEN
-- WE DID SEE THE SAME THING
HAPPEN IN CALIFORNIA WITH THE
BAY BRIDGE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
IT COMES DOWN TO COST.
IF AN AMERICAN WORKER IS TOO
EXPENSIVE, STATES ARE GOING TO
LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR FUNDING --
EXCUSE ME, FOR PROJECTS.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
STATES ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO BE
TAKING THE LEAD ON
INFRASTRUCTURE AS A RESULT OF
WASHINGTON'S FAILURE TO COME UP
WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF STATES
ENTERTAIN INCREASING THE GAS
TAX, FOR EXAMPLE, FINDING OTHER
REVENUE STREAMS, AND LOOKING TO
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
WE'VE SEEN SOME STATES LOOKING
TO ENSURE FAIR AND OPEN
COMPETITION, WHICH WE COULD SEE
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO.
THE GOVERNOR FROM TEXAS SIGNED A
BILL THAT WOULD ENSURE FAIR AND
OPEN COMPETITION.
IT'S THE 25th STATE TO DO SO.
WE COULD SEE PRESIDENT TRUMP DO
SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN D.C. ON
FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROJECTS
THROUGH AN EXECUTIVE ORDER,
THROUGH DEREGULATORY ACTION.
CHERYL: I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE
A GREAT POINT HERE, YOU SAY IT
SHOULD BE UP TO THE STATES.
IT SEEMS THAT IF OVER THE YEARS
IF YOU STUDY HOW INFRASTRUCTURE
SPENDING HAS BEEN ALLOCATED, IT
SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MORE WASTE AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAN AT THE
STATE LEVEL.
I GO BACK TO THAT CALIFORNIA
EXAMPLE OF THE BAY BRIDGE.
THEY ACTUALLY REJECTED FEDERAL
FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
BECAUSE IT WAS JUST CHEAPER TO
GO THE OVERSEAS ROUTE WHICH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT
ALLOW THEM TO DO.
>> THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHEN
YOU GET MONEY FOR A STATE AND
LOCAL PROJECT, THERE'S A LOT OF
RED TAPE THAT GOES ALONG WITH
THAT.
THERE ARE ARGUMENTS STATE AND
LOCAL PROCUREMENT OFFICERS HAVE
LESS RED TAPE AND GET PROJECTS
GOING QUICKER.
IT'S NOT A PERFECT AND EFFICIENT
SYSTEM.
WE'LL FIND STATES AND LOCALITIES
FINDING MORE REVENUE AND DOING
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
CHERYL: HOW DO WE MAKE SURE
THAT IF INFRASTRUCTURE IS
APPROVED, IT MAY NOT BE UNTIL
AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION, BUT IF
INFRASTRUCTURE IS APPROVED HOW
DO WE MAKE SURE THAT PROMISES
ARE ACTUALLY DELIVERED ON?
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE AMERICAN
JOBS ARE CREATED?
>> THERE'S GOT TO BE A BUY
BIPARTISAN SOLUTION.
THE OTHER ISSUE WE HAVE TO DEAL
WITH, WHICH OUR ASSOCIATION IS
WORKING ON, IS THE SKILLED LABOR
SHORTAGE.
WE'VE GOT A 440,000 SHORTAGE OF
SKILLED LABOR RIGHT NOW IN THE
INDUSTRY.
IF WE WERE TO ADD ANOTHER
TRILLION OR $2 TRILLION OVER 10
YEARS, WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO FIND THE SKILLED LABOR TO
BUILD THOSE PROJECTS AND REBUILD
AMERICA.
THAT'S A BIG THREAT.
ALL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE SAYING
THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE
RIGHT NOW IS FINDING THE SKILLED
LABOR.
I THINK TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER
INNOVATIONS ARE GOING TO FILL
THAT GAP.
BUT IT'S STILL A VERY BIG
PRESSING ISSUE WHICH AFFECTS OUR
SCHOOLS, OUR TECHNICAL COLLEGES
AND THE ENTIRE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY UNFORTUNATELY.
CHERYL: THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
I KNOW WE NEED TO SEE AMERICA'S