Georgia City, County Officials Applaud President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Implore Republicans Not to Take Credit

 ‘To those who voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we ask you to exercise that same restraint when it comes time to cut the ribbons on new construction and open the doors to thousands of new jobs in our communities.’

Today, a group of elected city and county officials across Georgia released the following letter addressed to Georgia’s sixteen members of Congress, praising President Biden, Senators Ossoff and Reverend Warnock and Representatives Bishop, Bourdeaux, Johnson, McBath, Scott, and Williams for passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and calling on Georgia’s eight congressional Republicans who opposed the infrastructure package to refrain from taking credit for the benefits it will bring to their communities. Signers include Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz, and Union City Mayor Vince Williams, President of the National League of Cities.

The full letter can be read below:

To: Georgia Congressional Delegation

From: Georgia Municipal Leaders

Date: January 28, 2022

As city and county officials representing thousands of Georgians across the state, we’ve led our municipalities through the peaks and troughs of this pandemic. When COVID-19 first struck our communities, not only were the health impacts devastating, but the future of our economies was also hanging in the balance. Many of the developments we planned for our communities were put on hold. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, our budgets were able to recover from the initial pressures of the pandemic, but our core infrastructure is still in dire need of improvements after years of underinvestment. 

That’s why we were so pleased to see President Biden advance the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and bring both sides of the aisle in Washington together to make generational investments in our infrastructure and economy. While half of Georgia’s delegation in Washington voted to pass this crucial legislation, we were deeply disappointed to see eight members oppose this overwhelmingly positive infrastructure package. To those who voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we thank you, and we look forward to welcoming you in our communities to celebrate exciting new projects. But to those who voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we ask you to exercise that same restraint when it comes time to cut the ribbons on new construction and open the doors to thousands of new jobs in our communities.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law could create around 400,000 new jobs in Georgia alone over the next ten years – that’s a new generation of good-paying jobs that will help our local economies thrive. For the people we represent, these aren’t just numbers; this infrastructure law is going to help Georgians put food on the table for their families and keep a roof over their heads. As a member of Congress, you should recognize how important and essential investments in our economy are, but a vote against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law speaks to your partisan political priorities rather than the needs of your constituents.

Many of our localities are already seeing benefits from this infrastructure package – from our ports to our airports. Georgia will receive $45 million to replace and repair our bridges this year alone, and over the next five years, our state can expect to receive $8.9 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs. These investments are going to make transportation safer and more efficient for millions of Georgia commuters, rural and urban alike.

This infrastructure law is going to patch up the divides in our pavement and our connectivity. Georgia will receive a minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across our state – including providing internet access to the at least 649,000 Georgians who currently lack it. This is a game changer for our communities and will improve economic, educational, and health outcomes for so many people we represent.

We’re grateful to President Biden and the Georgia representatives who supported this transformative infrastructure package – Senators Ossoff and Reverend Warnock and Representatives Bishop, Bourdeaux, Johnson, McBath, Scott, and Williams – and we’re looking forward to the new funding allocations in the coming months. But, we want to make one thing clear to the representatives who opposed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: when Georgia reaps the benefits, don’t show up in our communities to take the credit.

Mayor Kelly Girtz

Athens, GA

City Council Member Liliana Bakhtiari

Atlanta, GA

City Council Member Marci Collier Overstreet

Atlanta, GA

Commissioner Jordan Johnson 

Augusta, GA

City Council Member Toyia Tucker

Columbus, GA

Commission Chair Joshua Deriso

Cordele, GA

Commissioner Isaac Owens

Cordele, GA

Mayor pro-tem Rebekah Cohen Morris

Doraville, GA

Commissioner Ben Ku

Gwinnett County, GA

Mayor Van Johnson

Savannah, GA

Mayor Vince Williams

Union City, GA

City Council Member Sandra Tooley

Valdosta, GA

City Council Member Vivian Miller-Cody

Valdosta, GA

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