U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has urged greater investment in American infrastructure, saying it will create 400,000 jobs in the next two years. After a visit to the MARC train station in Maryland, Biden said that it is imperative to invest in the United States' infrastructure in order to build a modern, viable economy. “400,000 jobs will be created over the next two years nationwide if we invest in improving and upgrading our nation's infrastructure, including mass transit systems, highways, bridges and ports,” according to a statement released by Biden's press office. The Vice President also took the opportunity to tout the $900 billion stimulus plan that has been the recent focus of the administration of President Barack Obama. “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan includes the largest investment increase – at least $100 billion – in our nation's infrastructure, including roads, bridges and mass transit systems, since the creation of the national highway system in the 1950s,” he said. Stressing the importance of job creation in the infrastructure field, Biden said “the infrastructure investments in the [stimulus] plan are designed to fund ready-to-go projects that can get money out into the economy quickly, while addressing longstanding infrastructure backlogs that are creating security risks for our citizens and a drag on economic growth.” Biden also echoed Obama's message that the stimulus plan will “create or save 3 to 4 million jobs over the next two years.” According to Biden's statement, the bill will also spend out at least 75% of the allocated money in the first 18 months, double renewable energy generating capacity over three years, computerize every American's health record in five years, and create a school modernization program, aimed at modernizing 10,000 schools.
