WASHINGTON -- The nation's infrastructure is decaying, and the politicians on Capitol Hill aren't doing much to fix the problem, National League of Cities President Mark Stodola said during a news conference Monday.
The Little Rock mayor and nearly 2,000 other municipal officials are in Washington this week for the league's Congressional City Conference. Organizers say they're ready to work with President Donald Trump to improve the country's roads, bridges, waterways and Internet capabilities, and they're urging the U.S. House and Senate to step up.
"It seems like Congress has got their feet in concrete," Stodola said. "We're going to break that rock, we're going to knock them out of that concrete and, by golly, we're going to take it to them on the Hill and we're going to continue to press the message until they understand that they've got to get with the program."
The group's first vice president, Gary, Ind., Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, said voters will punish lawmakers who fail to act on the issue.
"We hear the people every day. ... We get to hear from them firsthand," Freeman-Wilson said. "If Congress does not listen to the people, then they will suffer the ultimate consequence of being replaced, which is what every elected official has to be concerned about. And that's what they should be concerned about."
A report last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation's infrastructure a D+ grade and said it would take roughly $4.5 trillion over 10 years to fix existing problems. That's $2 trillion above current funding levels.
Last month, Trump proposed $200 billion in additional spending over the next decade to spur infrastructure improvements. The White House said it can leverage that into $1.5 trillion in overall investment by partnering with state and local partners as well as the private sector; the other entities would need to come up with the other $1.3 trillion.
Clarence E. Anthony, the league's CEO, said it's important for the federal government to provide sufficient funding.
"We have to have a real partnership. At minimum, we're asking for an equal partnership of 50 percent funding from the federal level to local governments. That is key to what we're working towards," he said.
Anthony also drew applause after praising Stodola, who was elected to the National League of Cities post in November.
"Little Rock should be so proud to have your mayor representing all the mayors, council members, aldermen all over America. That's big," Anthony added.
Infrastructure improvement is definitely a key theme of this year's conference. The slogan "Rebuild with Us" is featured on signs; the hashtag is promoted on Twitter.
Several speakers suggested that Trump's infrastructure proposal shifts too much of the financial burden to states and municipalities.
Some, in the audience, were more receptive.
Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse said he'd welcome infrastructure aid for his city, even if it covers a fraction of the total cost.
"Just looking realistically, that's probably the way that's going to have to work," he said. "There's an opportunity to spread that [federal] money and do a lot more good with it ... if we provide more money locally."
Infrastructure is very important for his city, he said. "When you're growing as fast as Springdale is, your best hope is to just try and stay as caught up as you can with infrastructure."
The National League of Cities was founded more than 90 years ago and represents more than 1,900 member cities nationwide, its website states.
Monday's session included a full slate of speakers, including Stodola and former CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson were also scheduled to appear.
In his speech, Stodola said the entire nation has been affected by insufficient infrastructure spending.
"In every community in the country, you can find evidence of this massive funding gap," Stodola said. "You can see it in our congested ports, our potholed streets and our struggling transit systems. You can see it in our rusting pipes, frequent water main breaks and sewer systems that overflow, and you can see it in the many homes of low-income families that have no Internet access."
Schieffer, during his speech, decried the deep divisions in Washington.
"When did filling potholes become a partisan issue? How did we get to that?" he said, drawing applause. "Our roads and bridges are in disastrous shape."
Fixing infrastructure is essential, he said.
"This is something that has to be done. We can't go on this way where you're afraid to cross a bridge in your hometown," he added.
The audience, which included a large group from the Natural State, greeted the comments with applause.
Don Zimmerman, executive director of the Arkansas Municipal League, estimated that nearly three dozen fellow Arkansans had made the trip.
"I was just in a meeting with some of them that were from ... Springdale, North Little Rock, Fairfield Bay, Marion," he said Monday afternoon. "There's a good contingent from Little Rock."
Today, the group will hear from lawmakers as well as Anna Maria Chavez, the former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA.
Wednesday, the league holds its annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Day.
"We're going to be meeting with our delegation. We've got some major issues," Zimmerman said.
Internet sales taxes and infrastructure spending are two of the big ones, he added.
Stodola and other league officials will also be on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Thursday, they'll spend time at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
"We've been invited to go to the White House to discuss infrastructure projects very directly," Stodola said.
Stodola also met with White House officials in January to discuss infrastructure priorities and to hear brief remarks from Trump. That meeting included Sprouse.
Metro on 03/13/2018