National Association of Counties Responds to State of the Union Address, Welcomes Bipartisan Call for Investing in America

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The National Association of Counties (NACo) responded to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address with the following statement from NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase:

“We welcome President Trump’s call for bipartisanship and unity. We will continue to partner with the administration and Congress to achieve our shared priorities.

“Our nation is blessed with many opportunities, yet we also face serious challenges, from the opioid epidemic to health care, from jobs to housing and infrastructure – and counties need a reliable federal partner to address them. Partnerships are critical when it comes to fulfilling our nation’s infrastructure needs. 

“Counties invest significantly in infrastructure – physical and human – roads and bridges, public facilities, water and sewer systems, broadband and telecommunications. We own and maintain 46 percent of all public road miles and 39 percent of the nation’s bridge inventory. We are involved in a third of the nation’s public transportation systems and airports that connect residents, communities and businesses.

“Investing in infrastructure means investing in every American community. With President Trump’s commitment to strengthening our infrastructure, we stand ready to work across the span of society – with the public, private, nonprofit sectors – to reinvest in our communities.

“Counties represent America’s diversity – urban, suburban, rural, blue, red and everything in between. Regardless of these differences, we are united behind the mission of serving our residents. Now is the time for action, and we look forward to achieving results with our state and federal partners.”