Welch pushes infrastructure, energy efficiency as economic boosters

U.S. Rep. Peter Welch said in Springfield Monday revitalizing the country's infrastructure and concentrating more resources on energy efficiency programs are bipartisan solutions to help rebuild the economy for middle class Americans.

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Welch pushes infrastructure, energy efficiency as economic boosters By Chris Garofolo | Apr 01, 2014 Eagle-Times Photo by: Chris Garofolo U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., speaks Monday at the Springfield Rotary Club about the Affordable Care Act and methods to boost the economy for middle class Americans. SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Peter Welch said revitalizing the country's infrastructure and concentrating more resources on energy efficiency programs are bipartisan solutions to help rebuild the economy for middle class Americans. Welch, Vermont’s sole delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, pushed Monday for government to take advantage of record low interest rates to “get this economy going again” instead of spending time elsewhere on fringe issues or partisan gridlock that do nothing to strengthen the monetary foundation for working families. “While there will be huge differences between many of the members of Congress on these big questions about the role of government, taxing and spending — and those are all debates that we have to have and have had since the foundation of our country — [but] if we can focus on some of the areas where we actually agree and not just emphasize where we disagree, like energy efficiency, that will allow us to make some progress,” said Welch, delivering remarks to the Springfield Rotary Club Monday afternoon at the Hartness House. The congressman has been a frequent guest of the Springfield Rotarians. In his most recent speech, the Vermont Democrat focused on the challenges facing communities like Springfield looking to rebuild its middle class through significant improvements to roads and bridges, as well as expending broadband to boost business development. Millions of jobs were lost following the economic collapse in 2007 and Welch said those “folks in the market are back” while working class families have been left behind with staggering wages and an uptick in utility, health care and food costs. In an effort to accelerate a recovery, Welch proposed renovating the aging highway system and the small-town roads nationwide. “And we need to put money into revitalizing the infrastructure in Springfield, Vermont and in Springfield, Missouri, and across this country. Those are real jobs that will put people to work,” he said. Prior to his visit in Springfield, Welch attended an energy efficiency roundtable in Brattleboro. He touted the growing industry as a jobs stimulator because tradespeople could work to retrofit older homes and commercial buildings into energy savers. The property owner, in turn, would reap the benefits with less of their money going into energy costs. “These are things that we can do and don’t require us in Washington; these are areas where we should be able to find common ground because the challenges of infrastructure, the challenges and opportunities of energy efficiency; those apply whether you’re living in a very conservative or a very liberal district,” he said. Welch also briefly touched on the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare. He said the controversial measure needs to be addressed with bipartisan revisions, not simply repealing President Barack Obama’s landmark bill. “If you repeal the health care bill, where are we at? ... It’s not like that solves the real challenge in health care, which continues to be cost and quality and access,” he said.