MADISON, Wis. — Earlier today, state Sen. Chris Larson, state Rep. Kalan Haywood, Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale, WisDems Vice Chair and County Supervisor Felesia Martin, and WisDems Black Caucus Vice Chair Stacy Clark celebrated the passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal — applauding President Biden, Senator Baldwin, and Democrats in Congress for delivering the once-in-a-generation deal that will supplement  Gov. Evers’ investments in infrastructure and help build Wisconsin and Milwaukee back better.

The speakers noted how the deal will create good-paying jobs, combat the climate crisis, and work to address systemic inequality, and highlighted how Ron Johnson and Republicans in Congress failed Wisconsin by voting against this legislation.  

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State Senator Chris Larson:

  • “We’re standing here, outside of Milwaukee’s Intermodal Station, the northern terminal of Amtrak’s Hiawatha service, that connects down to Chicago. This deal will power the biggest expansion in Amtrak’s 50-year history. It is the biggest boost of federal aid to Amtrak since Congress created it half a century ago.”
  • “This deal is worth celebrating — it’s a big deal for Wisconsin and for the City of Milwaukee. For far too long, Wisconsin Republicans in Congress have gotten away with complacency in the name of partisanship. This deal will move us from complacent to competitive — and build on Gov. Evers’ continued investment in Wisconsin’s infrastructure. This deal is just another example of Democrats delivering — the 2022 elections will be a referendum on the Republican Party, especially to our own Senator Ron Johnson, who stood in stark opposition to this deal.”
  • “For all the reasons I mentioned it is unconscionable that Senator Ron Johnson would oppose this legislation simply out of some self-serving partisan agenda.”

State Representative Kalan Haywood:

  • “The infrastructure bill includes policies that will work to reconnect communities. As we know, the laws and standards that were in statute in the 50s and the 50s detrimentally and carelessly allowed and used bridges and highways to decimate and separate communities of color. They were separated from economic cores, transportation, and opportunity. This bill provides funds to address and rectify that issue.”
  • “Thank you to President Biden, thank you to the Democratic members of Congress for getting this bill passed and moving our country forward. Special thanks to our U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Representative Kind, Representative Pocan, and my Congresswoman Gwen Moore for fighting to ensure that Wisconsin gets its fair share and my constituents are getting the support they need from the federal government.”

AFL-CIO Wisconsin President Stephanie Bloomingdale:

  • “This infrastructure bill will help us to regain our competitiveness in the world. Wisconsin workers need this bill. United States workers need this bill. In putting this together, President Biden made sure that this bill was about creating good union jobs. Not just more jobs. But good jobs.”
  • “Who we are not going to clap for today, is Senator Ron Johnson, who turned his back on Wisconsin. He turned his back on Wisconsin people who want to be able to drive on good roads. Ron Johnson turned his back on people that don’t want bridges falling down on them because they haven’t been repaired in so long. Ron Johnson turned his back on all the kids who need broadband to be able to have a decent education.”

WisDems Vice Chair and County Supervisor Felesia Martin:

  • “We are here to talk about this wonderful bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Biden and the Democrats — they told they would deliver, and they did. This is something that brings deliverables straight to Milwaukee.”
  • “We are so thankful for Gov. Evers for what he’s been doing on the state level to ensure that we had what we needed here in Milwaukee for our infrastructure — but now the federal government has come alongside and given us more.”

WisDems Black Caucus Vice Chair Stacy Clark:

  • “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal includes investments that will take critical steps in advancing equity and racial justice throughout our economy – making our economy more fair, equitable, and just.”
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