Long Island elected officials and trade groups made a list of capital improvements worth over $5 billion that they hope Congress will fund through President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said the projects will create over 7,000 jobs and return over $6 billion back into the economy.
“It’s about creating jobs. It’s about creating economic growth. It’s about protecting water quality. All the things that are important for our future,” Bellone said.
Matthew Aracich is the president of the Nassau and Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council. He said the money would support the workforce required to meet Long Island's infrastructure needs.
“Infrastructure doesn’t have to be just brick and mortar. Infrastructure could be the people, which means giving the people the opportunity to become members of the building trades, to have a middle class income, to have a retirement, health care benefits and to work safely,” Aracich said.
The projects include building repairs and maintenance, water quality and wastewater initiatives on Long Island.
Biden’s proposal is to spend over $2 trillion on rebuilding roads and bridges, expand broadband access and other infrastructure projects.
“We don’t have specialized veterans care for veterans in Nassau County. They have to go to Northport, we love Northport. They have to go to the city. We love the city, but we would like to have a place closer to home,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.