ILA President Harold Daggett Applauds President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Deal That Includes $17 Billion In Port Improvements

NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (July 29, 2021)  Harold J. Daggett, President of the International Longshoremen’s Association, today applauded President Joe Biden’s “once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure, which the Senate advanced yesterday and includes $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s infrastructure.

The ILA leader sees the $17 billion earmarked for port infrastructure improvements as particularly beneficial to his ILA members.

“All our lives and our communities will benefit from this infrastructure deal,” said President Daggett.  “President Biden and his Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will grow the economy, enhance our competitiveness, create good jobs and make our economy more sustainable, resilient and just.”

ILA members in the Port of Baltimore, Maryland will learn more about the infrastructure deal today when U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visits there to meet with ILA workers at the port.

President Biden believes that we must invest in our country and in our people by creating good-paying union jobs, tackling the climate crisis, and growing the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will deliver progress towards those objectives for working families across the country. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal:

  • Makes the largest federal investment in public transit ever
  • Makes the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak
  • Makes the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system
  • Makes the largest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in American history, delivering clean water to millions of families
  • Ensures every American has access to reliable high-speed internet
  • Helps us tackle the climate crisis by making the largest investment in clean energy transmission and EV infrastructure in history; electrifying thousands of school and transit buses across the country; and creating a new Grid Development Authority to build a clean, 21st century electric grid

The President promised to work across the aisle to deliver results for working families. He believes demonstrating that democracies can deliver is a critical challenge for his presidency. Today’s agreement shows that we can come together to position American workers, farmers, and businesses to compete and win in the 21st century.

“This deal helps our ILA members at their jobs, but also benefits our members and their families in their home communities,” said President Daggett.  “We applaud our President and call on the U.S. Senate to fully approve this infrastructure package.”