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Press Room
Vinyl Institute Comments on State of the Union
Feb. 6, 2020
In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Trump touted his administration’s numerous accomplishments over the past three years and his vision for how the country will continue to grow economically under his leadership for the remainder of his presidency.
During his annual address to Congress, President Trump raised two critical issues to the vinyl industry.
Just a week ago, with the Vinyl Institute in attendance, President Trump delivered on one of his biggest campaign promises, passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) adopted during the Clinton Administration. This achievement is critical to allowing the U.S. vinyl industry to continue to grow.
The VI has been a strong advocate for the USMCA since the President announced his intention to revamp NAFTA. When this agreement goes into effect, vinyl exports are expected to grow by nearly 5 percent by 2022 with our two largest trading partners and create 176,000 new manufacturing jobs. The President was correct to spotlight this landmark action which will grow jobs and the U.S. economy.
Additionally, President Trump also mentioned the need for renewed investments in infrastructure.
“We must rebuild America’s infrastructure,” President Trump said. “I ask you to pass Senator John Barrasso’s highway bill to invest in new roads, bridges, and tunnels all across our land.”
The VI has long been a strong proponent of the need to invest in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. In addition to highways, bridges, and tunnels, we must also recognize and support our critical water infrastructure needs so that we can continue to deliver clean drinking water to our communities. According the American Water Works Association (AWWA), there are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks per year in the United States, wasting over two trillion gallons of treated drinking water. They also estimate that $1 trillion is necessary to maintain and expand service to meet demands over the next 25 years.
The VI is actively working with Congress and the Trump Administration to ensure our water infrastructure is a major component of any infrastructure investment project. While Congressional action on a large infrastructure bill is difficult in a presidential election year, the VI is encouraged that the President raised this critical issue in his State of the Union address.