HR 173 — A Resolution urging the Congress of the United States to establish the National Infrastructure Bank.

PRINTER'S NO.   1245

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 173
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, NEILSON, PASHINSKI, DALEY, PROBST,
        ISAACSON, MADDEN, GIRAL, HADDOCK, WAXMAN, MERSKI, MAYES,
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, SANCHEZ, HOHENSTEIN,
        RIVERA, MALAGARI AND O'MARA, APRIL 3, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, APRIL 3, 2025


                                 A RESOLUTION
 1   Urging the Congress of the United States to establish the
 2      National Infrastructure Bank.
 3      WHEREAS, In 2025, the American Society of Civil Engineers
 4   (ASCE) reported a grade of C for the current state of
 5   infrastructure in the United States, and ASCE estimated more
 6   than $9 trillion is needed to bring the nation's infrastructure
 7   to a state of good repair; and
 8      WHEREAS, The ASCE also estimated a gap of $3.7 trillion in
 9   nationwide infrastructure investments based on current funding
10   levels; and
11      WHEREAS, The 2022 ASCE report card grades this Commonwealth
12   at a C- in 15 categories of basic infrastructure, including the
13   following assessments:
14          (1)    over the next 10 years, this Commonwealth's public
15      water systems, which currently continue to contain
16      substantial amounts of lead service lines as well as per- and
17      polyfluoroalkyl substances, are projected to have a $10.2
 1         billion funding gap, not including funding from recent
 2         Federal programs;
 3             (2)    this Commonwealth has the ninth largest bridge
 4         inventory, including the second highest number of poor
 5         condition bridges, in the nation, which will require a
 6         minimum of $18 billion annually to maintain;
 7             (3)    the Commonwealth has a funding gap of $8.4 billion
 8         over the next 10 years that is needed to repair existing
 9         wastewater systems and upgrade current systems to meet
10         regulatory requirements;
11             (4)    $2 billion in storm water assets have reached the
12         end of their useful life and the State has a need for $6.7
13         billion for storm water projects over the next three to five
14         years;
15             (5)    transit funding shortfalls include $4.6 billion for
16         the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority capital needs
17         and $175 million for capital improvements at the Port
18         Authority of Allegheny County, and other systems require
19         additional funding; and
20             (6)    this Commonwealth has a shortage of at least 267,000
21         available and affordable homes for extremely low-income
22         renters;
23   and
24         WHEREAS, The National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) will assist
25   in financing infrastructure throughout this Commonwealth,
26   working in partnership with the State and local governments,
27   both rural and urban; and
28         WHEREAS, The NIB is modeled on previous banks that assisted
29   in building much of our infrastructure under Presidents George
30   Washington, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D.

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 1   Roosevelt, which helped spur massive economic growth; and
 2         WHEREAS, The last Federal bank with the similar objective of
 3   funding infrastructure in the United States helped bring the
 4   country out of the Great Depression and achieve our victory in
 5   World War II; and
 6         WHEREAS, The proposed $5 trillion bank would have
 7   authorization to invest only in infrastructure projects, be
 8   capitalized by existing Treasury debt and require no new Federal
 9   spending or the imposition of new taxes; and
10         WHEREAS, The NIB would create an estimated 25 million new
11   jobs, pay prevailing wages and include "Buy America" provisions
12   and award a significant number of contracts to disadvantaged
13   business enterprises; and
14         WHEREAS, As its predecessors did, and according to experts,
15   the NIB is projected to grow the Federal economy by 5% per year;
16   and
17         WHEREAS, Thirty state legislatures have introduced or passed
18   resolutions of support, as have county and city councils; and
19         WHEREAS, National endorsements of the NIB include the:
20             (1)   National Black Caucus of State Legislators;
21             (2)   National Asian-Pacific American Caucus of State
22         Legislators;
23             (3)   Council of State Governments-East Region;
24             (4)   National Association of Development Organizations -
25         all 541 Regional Planning Commissions;
26             (5)   National Association of Counties; and
27             (6)   United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters;
28   and
29         WHEREAS, Pennsylvania endorsements of the NIB include:
30             (1)   The City of Pittsburgh;

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 1             (2)   The City of Philadelphia;
 2             (3)   The City of Allentown;
 3             (4)   The City of Lancaster;
 4             (5)   Northampton County;
 5             (6)   Allegheny County; and
 6             (7)   The Northern Tier Central Labor Council;
 7   therefore be it
 8      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
 9   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
10   States to establish the National Infrastructure Bank; and be it
11   further
12      RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
13   the President of the United States, the presiding officers of
14   each house of Congress and each member of Congress from
15   Pennsylvania.




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