ACEC Statement on the State of the Union
Washington, D.C. – Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the business voice of America’s engineering industry, released the following statement on President Biden’s first State of the Union address:
“Tonight, President Biden said, ‘We’re done talking about an infrastructure week; we’re talking about an infrastructure decade.’ America’s engineering industry is already working hard to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and design the new highways and bridges that will transform America. We applaud the president and Congress for getting this bill signed into law, however, we also recognize that much still needs to be done for the bill to truly live up to its name.
“Short-term stop-gap spending measures do not include the funding levels necessary to carry out the work the IIJA has authorized. We urge Congress to pass its appropriations bills now to ensure the IIJA can be fully implemented.
“We also urge the president and Congress to realize that while the engineering industry has the will to carry out a generational investment in our infrastructure, our capacity to do the work is limited.
“President Biden discussed the need to prepare for 21st-century jobs, and America needs more engineers. We call on President Biden and Congress to focus on policies that encourage the flow of engineering talent into the United States through expanded H1-B visas while encouraging more American students to join STEM fields. It’s time to fill the engineering pipeline of talent.”
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business association of the nation’s engineering industry. Founded in 1909, ACEC is a national federation of 52 state and regional organizations representing more than 5,500 engineering firms and 600,000+ engineers, surveyors, architects, and other specialists nationwide. ACEC member firms drive the design of America’s infrastructure and the built environment.
