ICYMI: Secretary Buttigieg Visits New Jersey to discuss President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, strengthening the supply chain, job creation, and workforce development
New Jersey — Last Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg traveled to New Jersey to highlight how President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will benefit the Garden State, invest in workforce development, and create thousands of good-paying jobs for New Jersey residents for years to come.
The Secretary’s visit comes on the heels of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s six-month anniversary. With over $110 billion in infrastructure investments already announced, the law is delivering on its promise to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure for the future. New Jersey, specifically, has already received $3.4 billion in funding thanks to the law, over 83% of which will go towards transportation-related projects in the Garden State.
Secretary Buttigieg started his trip with a tour of Port Newark. During his visit, the Secretary discussed how Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments will improve port operations, improving shipping times and lowering costs for consumers. He also discussed how infrastructure investments will make work easier for current port employees in addition to creating more good-paying jobs in the area. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Donald Payne also joined the Secretary at the port.
The Secretary also had the chance to chat with a truck driver about current challenges in the trucking industry and how USDOT can work to address them. He joined the driver for a ride-along tour of a stretch of roadway at the port’s north entrance that will benefit from much-needed modernization thanks in part to a $44 million 2021 INFRA grant from USDOT.
The Secretary also met with Rep. Tom Malinowski. The two discussed how to speed progress on the Gateway Program, including the Hudson River Tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, which stands to benefit from funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Secretary then visited the County College of Morris where he had the chance to tour CCM’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center and learn more about the college’s workforce development programs. The Secretary was joined by Rep. Mikie Sherrill on the tour and for a town hall with community stakeholders and students. During the meeting, the two policymakers discussed the merits of workforce development programs, job creation, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law implementation.
Implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will “largely depend on the human infrastructure, the human capital, the skillsets and the workforce of those who are going to be called on in jobs that are increasingly demanding and sophisticated whether they involve college degrees or not,” said the Secretary.
On Friday morning, the Secretary joined Rep. Andy Kim for a visit to Burlington County where the two visited the site of an upcoming intersection improvement project along State Route 206. The project, which benefited from federal funding, will make the intersection safer and reduce congestion.
The Secretary and Rep. Kim then stopped for breakfast at the nearby Pandora Diner, where they met with local elected officials and chatted with reporters about how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law can help the improve transportation safety and the Department’s recently released National Roadway Safety Strategy — and better connect communities that were separated by past infrastructure projects.
What They’re Saying:
CBS New York: Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg discusses New Jersey infrastructure
Insider NJ: Mayor Pete and Mikie
“Buttigieg was bullish about transportation, suggesting that this decade will be as transformative as the 1920’s in regard to finding ways to move people around.”
Morristown Daily Record: Buttigieg in NJ: ‘Human capital’ a key to infrastructure, supply-chain solutions
“At the largest container port on the east coast in Newark, also the third-largest in the nation, Buttigieg talked about how infrastructure improvements will address supply-chain issues, create jobs and boost local economies. ‘Alongside economic shocks of COVID-19 and recovery, the result is that we are having to work short-, medium- and long-term solutions all at the same time in order to address this,’ he said.”
Also appeared in the New Jersey Herald
New Jersey Globe: Buttigieg will join Sherrill, Kim in N.J. appearances this week
NJ.com: N.J. needs a skilled workforce to take on the projects funded by the $1T infrastructure law
“It’s investing in those roads and highways, investments dealing with the backlog of state of good repair projects, and a vision to make them more efficient and safer at a moment when we are addressing a crisis in roadway deaths,” said Buttigieg.
ROI New Jersey: Buttigieg impressed by workforce development programs at CCM
Buttigieg praised the efforts of CCM and Sherrill, saying that having the public sector and the private sector working together is key.
“Where everyone here comes into play is the implementation of this law, the delivery of these resources that Congress, the president entrusted the departments like mine to make a reality,” he said. “This will largely depend on the human capital, the skill sets, the workforce that will be called on that are increasingly demanding and sophisticated, whether they have college degrees or not.
Tap into Bordentown: County Commissioners Welcome Pete Buttigieg During Friday Stop
Congressman Kim said he was proud to welcome Secretary Buttigieg to Burlington County and to introduce him to local officials and residents.
“I’m proud to welcome Secretary Buttigieg to our district as we begin one of the very first highway projects in New Jersey coming from the bipartisan infrastructure law,” said Congressman Kim. “Getting this project underway is a great first step, but there are more projects coming that will get people back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges, making sure every family in New Jersey has clean water coming to their home, and expanding broadband internet access to every corner of the state. We’re just getting started and I’m grateful to have Secretary Buttigieg with us as we begin rebuilding our aging infrastructure.”
WRNJ Northwest Jersey Radio: County College of Morris hosts U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill on workforce development tour
Buttigieg stated about his visit to AMEC, “It’s really impressive what we’ve seen here. The key to success is the integration of employers and educators, and seeing how you’ve made that work is impressive.”
Saw it on Social:
@RepAndyKimNJ: This morning Congressman Kim welcomed @SecretaryPete to Springfield at the site of a new infrastructure project at the intersection of 206 and 537. The two discussed the project and met with some of our neighbors at Pandora’s diner afterwards.
@CCM_edu: CCM was honored today to host a session on workforce development with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill at its state-of-the-art Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering.
@NJBIA: NJBIA’s Christopher Emigholz joined Rep. @MikieSherrill and U.S. Transportation @SecretaryPete at @CCM_edu to highlight the federal $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill — with $12+ billion for NJ roads, bridges, & major infrastructure improvements.
@johnwbartlett: Honored to welcome @USDOT @SecretaryPete to the @NJTPA region yesterday to talk with @MikieSherrill about the generational investments in #infrastructure we’re making in #NJ thanks to the #BipartisanInfrastructureAct.
@RepMalinowski: We finally have a partner in Washington and the resources to match our ambitions. I look forward to working with @SecretaryPete to make Gateway move faster, & deliver support for all the other transit and highway projects we need to help our commuters.
@RepSherrill: It was great to host @SecretaryPete here in #NJ11 at CCM to highlight how our colleges and local businesses are training a workforce that will meet the technological and innovative needs of the 21st century.
@SecretaryPete: Today’s visit to Route 206 with @RepAndyKimNJ shows what meaningful infrastructure investment looks like, in this case helping to make transportation safer and more efficient for New Jersey residents including those in smaller communities.
