That may or may not exist, but certainly, the u. S. Has tried to be as transparent as possible with regard to Space Programs explaining even in the face of narratives that certain of our capacities are weaponized when theyre not, so i would refer you to some of the Good Communications what were doing in space, the clarification and transparency provided both by the space force you can finish watching this at cspan. Org. We are going 0 to take you to an infrastructure conference. Live coverage on cspan2. Inside this beautiful space, thank you all for taking the time this morning to be here with us. I love seeing a room starting to get slowly filled up with a bunch of infrastructure nerds like myself. Thank you, fantastic. Welcome to infrastructure week 2024, exciting, yes, amazing. [applause] im ross, leading from my post at accelerator for more action. And many of you have been with us since we take the rains two years ago, a fantastic two years leading this wonderful coalition of organizations, of associations, of private Sector Companies so many of you are here in the room with us today. Thank you for your support, dedication on this. Thank you so much. Many of you are thinking what are we still doing here . Why are we still doing this . Why do you force us to come to these weeks every year, year after year after year. And i know, im sorry, youre here for many more years to come. Get situated, get comfy. Were not just celebrating successes, continuing to beat the drum for the infrastructure. Were acknowledging a very critical milestone, the Halfway Point of the bipartisan infrastructure law. For the last two and a half years, our infrastructure steering committee, larger coalition of families and partners have been beating the drum and pounding the pavement, everyone knows about this coming to ground and now the critical work of paving the next steps. Making sure we get to the next federal investment. To our Partnership Networks and our colleagues in the room from meridian, siemens, and hard work for showing the rest of the country what the private sector should be doing in this space and of course to our steering committee. Aflcio, American Society of Civil Engineers, brookings, and rtc thank you for last night. And the building and trades unions, the value of Water Campaign and our incredible host for todays event the u. S. Chamber of commerce. Look at this room, its really, really, beautiful. Thank you all. And i want to thank you for your partnership and importance of this work. A round of applause for this family. [applause] we have a truly Incredible Program with you today celebrating tens of thousands of projects in every single state and territory funded, and the celebration that well have today to focus on the investments from the Public Sector, from private sector, from philanthropy into our nations work force. Giving more opportunities to build this project, pivotal to this next generation and beyond and thank you to get that going as well. We are going to go through today. Weve got food taken care of and maybe seen the Briefing Center here, youre all busy people, if you need to step out, take a call, and please go to do that and come right back and join us. Weve got a wonderful program. Lets get to t were thankful to the u. S. Chamber of partners for hosting us tornado today. The president and ceo of the u. S. Chamber of commerce, miss susan clark. Thank you, ross. And welcome everyone to the u. S. Dham chamber of commerce. This is about finishing the job we started. Many of us spent years or even decades working to get a robust infrastructure bill across the finish line. While we should celebrate that achievement, the bipartisan infrastructure bill simply laid the foundation for increasing our nations competitiveness to truly see the opportunities before us, we must create a policy environment that makes it easier for businesses to invest and to build a better future. To do that, we have to do a better job of setting priorities as a nation and acting smartly and strategically to make them possible. For example, today, there are billions of dollars of federal investments ready to go into our nations roads, bridges, railways, ports and broad bands. But holding back progress, opportunity and Economic Growth. When it takes an average of seven and a half years to get a permit for a new bridge or a new road, longer than it takes to build many projects, thats simply not strategic. I want to talk about an infrastructure challenge that hits closer to home for many in this region and its more than a challenge. Its a tragedy. Weve been working with a key federation partner, the Maryland Chamber in the aftermath of the horrific collapse of the Francis Scott key bridge. And forecast who lost jobs, commuters who didnt get home. Businesses that have lost access to the part thats vital to what they do. In addition to working with our partners in helping the community recover, we must work to build that bridge and permitting reform delays that crucial project, it will compound the challenges and prolong the disruption of commerce and daily life. We cannot let that happen in baltimore or anywhere else in this country where a project badly needs to get done. Last year, the chamber launched our permit america to build campaign, uniting more than 350 coalition partners, calling on congress to enact meaningful, durable permitting forms. Not long after that as part of the debt limit deal last june, congress enacted the first meaningful update for the national act that helped pave the way to get more shovels in the ground. Theres plenty left to do and the clock is ticking. It may be hard to believe that funding for the law is nearing expiration and as the next Congress Reauthorizes that, the best way for this legislation is to be able to point to impact. That means making it easier to invest, permit and build with speed and efficiency, and it means creating more policy certainty around the host of priorities that impact our nations ability to drive the growth, innovation and prosperity were capable of. From the reauthorizing the bipartisan infrastructure bill to developing a clear and comprehensive Energy Policy that supports American Energy production and the energy transition. Addressing the worker shortage crisis, securing our borders and modernizing immigration and a trade agenda and more. Look, we have a lot of work ahead of us, but im optimistic. Weve demonstrated whats possible when leaders in business, labor and all levels of government come together around a shared national priority. And today is the continuation of that effort. Together we can turn promises into projects and push for longterm investments that help make our nations infrastructure the envy of the world. Thank you for your dedication and commitment and i look forward to continuing to partner with you in this effort. With that, brian jones president of the mid Atlantic Division of hmtv. Well, good morning, everyone and thank you, suzanne. It is truly a privilege to be here today representing the u. S. Chamber of commerce board of directors as we embark on discussions surrounding one of the most Monumental Investments in americas infrastructure and sustainability efforts in history and the crucial next steps to keep that momentum going. Over a decade ago, infrastructure week was established as a pivotal platform uniting policy makers, industry leaders, the business community, and the public, in a concerted effort to advance critical conversations forward. Unified by a come on goal. This coalition employed considerable influence for investment as a top priority. To fostering Innovative Solutions and inclusive dialog, the invaluable expertise, leadership and guidance proved key to finding a Common Ground in reaching, as we all know, a rare bipartisan achievement. The infrastructure and jobs act holds for the infrastructure and the american economy, ushering in a new opportunity of growth, opportunity and innovation. Were seeing tangible impacts, projects installed due to funding constraints, theyre now moving forward creating jobs. Cutting edge he can it technology and enhancing efficiency. As suzanne noted, this is only the beginning and our work is not over. We must look at the historic investment while afg sustainable longterm funding mechanisms to preserve and enchance our systems for generations to come. Our sessions today and others throughout the weeks, months and years ahead offer an opportunity to deepen our collective understanding, not just of transformative infrastructure, but also of innovative approaches to drive that positive change and rebuild connections within communities across our nations. Now please join me in welcoming my friend, mary ellen, the ceo of accelerator for america and united for infrastructure. Mary ellen . applause please welcome to the stage the president and ceo for accelerator for america. Good morning, everybody, what a beautiful room of infrastructure practitioners, stakeholders, advocates. Its great to be with you, and im the president and ceo of acceleraor for america, we united to run the infrastructure with all of you. It was founded by former Los Angeles MayorEric Garcetti in 2017 and we worked every day in our mission to help find and develop solutions that combat economic insecurity and share scale, replicate those Solutions Across our network of cities and leaders everywhere in this country. The core of our work has always been infrastructure because we know infrastructure helps connect neighborhoods and people to new opportunity. Infrastructure is about our countrys competitiveness and at its core, about good jobs. Thats why im excited to be on the stage today to introduce our keynote speaker. Since we both have california roots, lets talk about julie su. She took the rains in march of last year and under his leadership, the department puts together the center of everything they do, those who have been underestimated. Acting secretary julie su ensures that these individuals who have sometimes been forced to take on whatever work they can get. No matter the hours or the conditions or the mistreatment that they now have new opportunity through that infrastructure law to work on projects that provide a family supporting wage and offer dignity and growth opportunity. The acting secretary and i also share a first generation american story. My father and his family came to this country after world war ii having nothing, but the growths on their back and a suitcase full of a few things. But when my grandfather game here in 1949 and went to work, he got to go to a great factory job with a family supporting wage and a pension. The acting secretarys family came here a couple of decades later and she was worn in this country just as i was, but maybe not the same opportunity. And she ultimately became her parents most ferocious advocate and translated for them and helped to make sure that they got what they needed as a family and formed who she is and the work she does today to make sure that people have the dignity at work and get the benefit and pay for that work. Early in her career, su combatted sweatshop conditions, and she focused on improving conditions for those working in the garment industry. It helped to earn a genius grant. A genius in our midst this morning. And working for two california governors, and for those of you who know accelerator, we love governors and our mayors so were particularly thrilled with the initiative that shes had with the National League of cities, good jobs, great cities, helping our city leaders form initiatives around this amazing opportunity and we have an infrastructure and in fact, well hear that later with one of our mayors from san antonio. Secretary su understands the importance of partnership. None of this happens alone, this is a team sport that we work in. And were in the womens bureau, leveraging for equity to ensure that these jobs in infrastructure and the Clean Energy Jobs for the Energy Reduction act are available for people of color, for women, people who have been historically underinvested and underestimated. Without our Skilled Trades workers, our steel metal workers, our plumbers, our painters, our transit experts and so many more none of these would be possible. With that in mind, it is my great honor to introduce the countrys number one advocate for great jobs and workers, acting secretary, julie su. [applause]. Good morning, everybody. Mary ellen, thank you so much for that very introduction. It was so lovely to speak with you before coming out here with our shared immigrant stories, and the point that good jobs change lives and do so for generation. Im pleased to talk about that and were in a moment in which we can make that happen for more people than weve done for a very, very long time in this country and i know the best ideas happen when Business Leaders, unions, mayors, other local officials and others come together in real partnership. And so, i real appreciate you, mary ellen, and your leadership in bringing together this group to talk about something thats so core to President Bidens vision for america. Which is infrastructure. But i want to acknowledge a few people before i start. The first are my friends who you will hear from in just a little bit. Sean mcgarvey president of the Building Trades and greg reagan from the trance Sayings Department of the aflcio. President biden is investing in america and the workers that sean and greg represent are building america. I also want to recognize san antonio mayor ron nuremberg, as mary ellen said, our mayors are the ones getting things done on the front line. And san antonio is one of the great jobs city. Ill come back and talk about mayor ron in a moment, but san antonio is setting an example that is really demonstrating what is possible across the nation and of course, i want to thank the brilliant work that guided the bidenharris from historic job growth and infrastructure. And Suzanne Clark you heard from on the video has been great to work with as well as we think about how to build up the supply chains across the country and make sure the Economic Growth bradley benefits all. So, as you all know, since even before this group was together a decade ago, weve talked about the need for Infrastructure Investment and President Biden is delivering them. Everywhere i go, i get to see really historic investments taking shape across the country like at Pittsburgh International airport where were investing 20 million to modernize the airports terminal. At the same time, that work is using made in america steel, thousands of prevailing union jobs and it will generate 2. 5 billion dollars in Economic Activity. Now, thats a theme of something that im going to talk about which is how the investments are not just for workers, not just good for businesses that work on them, but power our Economic Growth. I also got to visit the site of and the people who are creating americas First Interstate high speed rail. This is going to connect the empire with los angeles and also built by union workers. And probably like many of my fellow west coasters who spent a lot of time on the i15, we welcome a high speed rail line between those two cities. And toured atlantas builtline improving transportation and creating more green space as well as Affordable Housing and rejecting neighborhoods, divided by infrastructure in the past so we have a moment to think about infrastructure and the way that it connects rather than divides. So what im going to focus on though is a question that people often ask me, which is are we going to have the work force for this work . Of course, the answer to that is yes. If we make sure that these investments create good jobs and if we focus on connecting the people who have been left out of opportunities for too long to those jobs. So this brings me to another kind of infrastructure. I think of our work force system as infrastructure, too. Its the roads and bridges that connect good people to the jobs that they need and employers to what they want and need. Just like our physical infrastructure. Our work force infrastructure has got some cracks. Its got some potholes. It hasnt been built to reach every community the way that it needs to. And that includes workers and employers. And we say to that, not this time. Not on our watch. In President Bidens america were building a work force infrastructure as strong as our physical infrastructure and were making sure that its going to reach all communities. And to do it, we need high road Training Partnerships. What do i mean by that . High road Training Partnerships start with the jobs, with the destination. We cant build effective infrastructure if we dont know where were going. Just like too many Training Programs in the past have focused on skills that might be needed for jobs that might materialize, not anymore. In the language of economists, high road Training Partnerships connects the demand for labor with the supply. They involve management and labor sitting down together to plan, to Design Training thats tied to actual jobs, jobs that not only suppor