After President Donald Trump released his $1.5 billion infrastructure proposal as part of the administration’s $4.4 trillion budget, the Associated General Contractors of America says it hopes the president’s ideas lead to a bipartisan conversation about the nation’s crumbling roads, bridges and highways.

“This process should build on the many positive aspects of the president's infrastructure proposal,” said AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr. “These include increasing direct federal funding for public works by at least $200 billion over the next 10 years; making improvements to the federal permitting process that maintain strong environmental protections while significantly accelerating project reviews; and finding innovative new ways to use federal funds to leverage additional state, local and private-sector funding for infrastructure.

"At the same time, as the president's own proposal makes clear, Congress must identify ways to address chronic funding shortfalls affecting the federal highway trust fund that have put needed highway, bridge and transit improvements at risk too many times during the past decade,” Sanderr said. “And Congress must also identify effective and long-term ways to fund other infrastructure improvements that are just as vital to our continued economic success as is the surface transportation program.

Moving forward, this association will work vigorously to ensure Congress passes a significant, new, long-term infrastructure funding package as quickly as possible,” he added.