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Buttigieg points to ag infrastructure needs

The U.S. Transportation Secretary says the Biden administration feels ‘good’ the proposed bipartisan infrastructure deal will pass the Senate in the next few days after remaining issues are ‘ironed out’.

The bipartisan infrastructure deal failed a test vote Wednesday, but Pete Buttigieg said another vote could happen at any time and approval would begin debate on an infrastructure bill.

He said the agreement would provide a more stable supply chain for farmers.

Buttigieg tells Brownfield the investment would give farmers greater certainty that needed roads and bridges are fixed.

“But also, the kind of market certainty that comes from having a really smoothly functioning freight system, so you don’t have backups whether we’re talking about the truck side, the train side or the shipping side,” he said.

More than $100 billion would be invested in roads and bridges across the country with another $16 billion for ports and waterways and Buttigieg says ports need to be updated.

“Being able to get those goods especially to those exports markets depends on us unclogging some of these supply chains which is why we need to work on our ports,” he said. “Coastal ports, yes but also inland waterways, right in the heart of the Midwest for example, that need work.”

Buttigieg said every part of U.S. infrastructure needs work and every part will be addressed in the bipartisan package.