Natl Infrastructure

This event is open to the public. The briefing will focus on the legislative

initiative to create a $5 trillion public bank for infrastructure investment.

Speakers will include Illinois Senator David Koehler, Chicago Alderman

Gilbert Villegas and special guest Congressman Danny K. Davis of

Chicago.

This has been done four times before in United States history and all

institutions were successful. The last one, the Reconstruction Finance

Corporation of President Franklin Roosevelt, helped end the Great

Depression and win WWII.

This policy will complement the excellent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

passed by congress in 2021. That bill will expire in 2026 and there is no

replacement except for the NIB. Congressman Davis is the lead sponsor of

HR 4052, the bill to create the new bank. That bill has 38 Democratic

sponsors. Senator Koehler sponsored an Illinois resolution in support of

this, and the Chicago City Council passed an endorsement resolution.

The infrastructure bank will finance an enormous amount of projects

including: immediate replacement of all 10 million lead water service lines

in the nation (400,000 alone in Chicago!); finance 7 million new units of

affordable housing for the most in need; fix or replace all 40,000 bridges

needing immediate attention; finance a 12,000 mile high-speed rail system;

and more.