Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg speaks to reporters after the sixth Democratic primary debate at Los Angeles' Loyola Marymount University on December 19. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg unveiled a $1 trillion infrastructure plan Friday, which aims to improve water quality, public transportation and the national Highway Trust Fund.
In the 17-page plan, Buttigieg, who formally departed the mayor's office in South Bend, Ind., last week, said he will use reforms in the capital gains tax and repeal President Donald Trump's 2017 tax reform package to help pay for his plan. He also said much of the cost is already accounted for with savings in his climate resiliency plan.
"My infrastructure plan achieves three things: Opportunity, equity, and empowerment," Buttgieg said.
"First, we will create opportunities for individuals and communities, including millions of well-paying union jobs.
"Second, we will close disparities and ensure that everyone has access to adequate infrastructure like clean drinking water and affordable ways to get to work.
"Finally, we will empower local communities to lead on infrastructure development so that they can support safe, vibrant, growing neighborhoods."
Buttigieg said the plan will create 6 million jobs and help cities and states repair roads, and will help expand rail and business services. He noted that $12 billion will be used for rural public transit.
"Local governments will finally have a partner in Washington," he said.
The plan also promises to cut water bills in half nationwide and spend $100 billion to protect families from lead in paint and in water systems. The plan also aims to update and fix at least half of U.S. roads and bridges by 2030 and invest in "sustainable infrastructure that enables 50 percent of U.S. counties to grow over the next 10 years."
"We know that investments in infrastructure create well-paying jobs and provide essential services like water and transportation that help us raise families and start businesses," the 37-year-old Democrat said. "This is why cities and towns have been leading the way on new infrastructure partnerships and approaches."
Other tenets of the plan call for measures that will make the United States the world leader in zero-emission autonomous vehicle technology, develop smart infrastructure, fund research to win in the global economy, safeguard infrastructure from digital threats, build a resilient electricity grid, expand pre-disaster mitigation programs and guard against wildfires.
