On January 27, the Coalition for a National Infrastructure Bank(NIB) conducted a ground breaking Day of Action. Social media sites buzzed with activity, meetings with Congress galvanized action, and activists mobilized calls into Congress. New participants joined the Teach-In. It was live-streamed for the first time on the NIB Facebook site, while being recorded, and will be posted on the Pennsylvania NIB Facebook page. 

    Timing is everything. One day after the Day of Action the Pittsburgh bridge collapsed. Luckily nobody was killed, but they sure could have been. Eighteen months ago the NIB Coalition got resolutions of support from the Pittsburgh City Council, Allegheny County Council and organizations across Pennsylvania demanding Congress pass HR 3339 and create the $5 trillion National Infrastructure Bank. Yet Congress failed to heed our calls!

    Here are our accomplishments in the past two weeks in getting support for the NIB:

    Resolutions of support were introduced into the New Mexico Senate and New Mexico House; the Arizona Senate and House; the Missouri House, the New Jersey Assembly and the Delaware Senate. On January 27, the Delaware Senate passed the resolution! They sent it directly to Congress and to President Biden for action. The resolution in the Washington Senate passed Committee and is headed up the ladder. The New Mexico resolution was endorsed by the New Mexico AFL-CIO which is actively promoting it in the State Capitol in Santa Fe.   

    In New Jersey, a lead sponsor of the Assembly resolution, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak penned an op-ed for the media. It was covered in seven USA Today newspaper affiliates and picked up by Yahoo News. It received near blanket media exposure in New Jersey.

Follow-up events are already happening. The Coalition will be buying a media package this week in Pittsburgh to spotlight the NIB in light of the bridge collapse, and more activity will be happening in Congress demanding they act on HR 3339. Stay tuned, and visit nibcoalition.com for marching orders. Follow us on twitter and Facebook and let’s continue the social media blitz!