The Facts Tell The Story: It's Broken!

Our infrastructure is broken 
Years of inaction have allowed American infrastructure to degrade into a state of disrepair. With yesterday’s release of President Donald J. Trump’s Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America, the Administration is committed to reversing this sad course. 

Here are the facts:

• One out of every five miles of highway pavement in the United States is in poor condition. 
• More than 50,000 American bridges are rated as “structurally deficient.” 
• Commute times have increased every year since 2009—and more than 40 percent of urban interstate miles are congested. 
• Nearly 40 percent of Americans living in rural areas lack sufficient broadband access. 
• Lengthy reviews hold up infrastructure projects for years. 
• The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that failing to meet our infrastructure needs will cost us $4 trillion in GDP and 2.5 million jobs by 2025.

Read why now is the moment we must fix America’s failing infrastructure. 

Bonus read: “A Nation’s infrastructure is a measure of its greatness,” says Gary Cohn

An American budget 
Yesterday, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney released the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget for the U.S. Government: “Efficient, Effective, Accountable: An American Budget.”
“As a nation, we face difficult times—challenged by a crumbling infrastructure, growing deficits, rogue nations, and irresponsible Washington spending,” Director Mulvaney said. “Through this budget proposal, it is clear that the President and this Administration are determined to reverse these trends.”

Seven things to know about the President’s budget:

• It provides for a robust and rebuilt national defense.
• It promotes a healthy American economy.
• It curbs wasteful Washington spending.
• It supports the President’s innovative infrastructure initiative.
• It secures our porous southern border and strengthens enforcement of immigration law.
• It keeps our commitment to improving veterans’ health.
• It combats the opioids epidemic.

Read more: “Efficient, Effective, Accountable: An American Budget for Fiscal Year 2019”

Watch: Let the Games begin 
Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea last week with Second Lady Karen Pence to lead the American Olympic Delegation for the 2018 Winter Games. He attended the Opening Ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Friday.
The Vice President met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in ahead of the Games, discussing how the United States and our global allies will continue to intensify a maximum pressure campaign on North Korea until it abandons its nuclear and ballistic missile programs once and for all.

“We will protect our peoples. We will defend our freedom. And together, we will forge a future of security, prosperity, and peace for both of our nations for generations to come,” the Vice President said.

Watch in 34 seconds: Vice President Pence leads the U.S. delegation at the 2018 Olympics

PHOTO OF THE DAY

President Donald J. Trump at an infrastructure initiative meeting  | February 11, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead) 

POTUS TODAY

This morning, President Trump will host a meeting with members of Congress on trade. Later, the President will host a roundtable with the National Sheriff's Association. In the afternoon, the President and First Lady will host a National African American History Month reception.

Today, Vice President Pence will deliver remarks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Later, the Vice President will participate in the Senate Republican Policy Lunch.