U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spoke highly of President Biden?s new infrastructure law during a recent visit to Bloomer, Wisconsin.
Vilsack says the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ? signed into law by President Biden on November 15th ? will make high-speed internet affordable and available everywhere in the United States.
?We obviously want to expand access to high-speed internet to all corners of America,? said Vilsack, ?in order for people to fully take advantage of this, not just being able to say we’ve got broadband, but being able to make sure it?s usable: high upload and download speeds so that it’s actually meaningful for distance learning, for telemedicine, for business development, and for uses in the family home.?
Vilsack adds too many roads and bridges are overdue for repairs throughout the country.
?We want to improve those roads and bridges,? said Vilsack. ?We want to fix those bridges. We want to improve the roads. Why? Because we want to be able to get people safely to their homes and their businesses from day to day. We want people to save time with a better transportation system. We also want to be able to maintain the competitive edge that America has, and ag exports, which are directly connected to the efficiency of our transportation system. That’s why it’s important not just to do roads and bridges, but also that lock and dam system.?
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley voted in favor of the infrastructure law as it made its way through the Senate. He recently told farm reporters he was happy to see the bill get to the finish line and signed by the president.
?This is something Iowans have been asking for at my town meetings for the last four years,? said Grassley. ?Don?t forget, Trump was trying to get a $2 trillion package. This is related to the problems we have with the highways. It?s related to 23 percent of our bridges being structurally deficient. Consequently, people want safe bridges to drive over.?
Vilsack also said that a fully-functioning lock-and-dam system is vital for U.S. agriculture.
