President Obama said Thursday he plans to roll out a new infrastructure plan in the coming weeks and take it to the country to create jobs and make the American economy more competitive globally.
“We know strong infrastructure is a key ingredient to a thriving economy,” the president said at a visit to the Port of Jacksonville, Fla. “That’s how the United States became the best place in the world to do business.”
“The businesses of tomorrow will not locate near old roads, outdated ports,” he added. “They’re going to go to places where the ports are good, roads are good, the rail lines are good, [where] you’ve got high-speed internet.”
Obama, who said that some in Congress have cut back on infrastructure spending in the past two years, did not provide details of his plan.
Obama and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx toured the port, which is being readied to receive super tankers coming through the Panama Canal, which means more jobs for Americans as more goods flow in and out of the port, the president said.
Last month, outgoing Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said Obama would soon issue a “bold” infrastructure plan that would include a creative financing plan.
