Subject: RE: APPROVE: Sample infrastructure materials
From: "Helmstetter, TJ" <[email-masked]>
To: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]>, "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Walsh, Tom" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 May 2016 14:33:37 -0700

From: Helmstetter, TJ
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 1:28 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark; Miranda, Luis
Cc: Walsh, Tom
Subject: APPROVE: Sample infrastructure materials

Below: Four letters to the editor, a media advisory, and a press release. Missing an op-ed, Tom will get that to us shortly. Would like these to go out to the state parties TODAY.

For Planning Purposes Only
May XX, 2016
Contact: [Name], [Number/Email]

*MEDIA ADVISORY*
TOMORROW, [DATE] at [TIME] ET: Labor and Business Join Forces to Call for Increase in Infrastructure Investments

[CITY]- Our nation is in the midst of a worsening infrastructure crisis, but Republicans in Congress have refused to act to ensure safety on our roads and bridges. This week is National Infrastructure Week, which highlights the common interests of labor and business in calling for additional investments in infrastructure. Tomorrow, Democrats and leaders from the business and labor communities will call on GOP lawmakers to stop blocking bills that would fund much needed internal improvements for our country.

Join XXX, XXX, and XXX TOMORROW, [DATE] at [TIME] to call on [insert Republican Member of Congress] to fund maintenance on [INSERT STATE]'s public roads and bridges.

WHO: Labor and Business Leaders
WHAT: Press Conference on Infrastructure Funding
WHEN: TOMORROW,  [DATE], [TIME]
WHERE: [LOCATION]

For more information, please contact [state party comms director].
###

For Immediate Release
May XX, 2016
Contact: [Name], [Number/Email]

Labor and Business Leaders Call on Republican Lawmakers to Fund Much-Needed Infrastructure Improvements

[City]- Underfunding of public roads and bridges in the United States have put residents in danger of transit accidents on a daily basis. Yet Republican lawmakers like [INSERT GOP MEMBERS OF CONGRESS] repeatedly refuse to invest in our nation's infrastructure. Labor and business leaders gathered today to call for funding to address this serious matter in honor of National Infrastructure Week.

"As a business owner, I find it unconscionable that our congressman has failed to make sure our roads and bridges are safe," said XXXX. "It's not a partisan issue to properly fund our transportation network, but he is making it one and putting his constituents in danger in the process."

If Hitting House Member:
In 2012, XXXX supported a transportation bill that was strongly opposed by safety and environmental advocates. It would have covered only five percent of the funds needed to pay for the entirety of national mass transit repairs.

If Hitting Senator:
XXXX has repeated blocked bills to fund national infrastructure repairs. In 2011, XXXX blocked President Obama's plan to allocate $60 billion in for much-needed highway, rail, transit and airport repairs and construction. And in 2015, XXXX helped defeat an amendment that would have allocated $478 billion in infrastructure investment while remaining deficit-neutral.

"If the roof of your house is leaking, you try to fix it immediately instead of waiting for the whole thing to cave in," said XXXX. "[SENATOR or MEMBER]'s actions simply don't make sense. He is putting our lives at risk for refusing to act."

###

Letter 1

Editor

Under President Obama, we've seen 14 million new jobs created. But we can do even more if Republicans in Congress would agree to invest more in infrastructure projects - not only repairing our crumbling roads and bridges, but also wiring rural America and installing green energy infrastructure. These investments are what's needed to create even more jobs while making our nation stronger.

Infrastructure shouldn't fall victim to partisan political games. Investing in roads, bridges, railroads, and airports is fundamental to our economy. Expanding broadband internet access and installing wind and solar panels in communities across the country will build a stronger future and create millions of jobs. Investments in wiring rural America, in particular, would pay off in spades by allowing rural families to grow their businesses online, tapping into e-commerce in order to provide for their families.

Simply put, investing in infrastructure helps lift up hardworking families. When Republicans block infrastructure spending, they kill jobs, make our roads and bridges less safe, and block hardworking Americans from gaining internet access. We need to focus on efforts to grow America-not limit our progress because of political strife.

Sincerely,
Rachel Palermo

Letter 2

Editor:

The backbone of our country is our infrastructure. As our transportation networks crumble, public life suffers. Looking towards the future, I am concerned that our country is falling behind.

All investments in our infrastructure double as an investment for our country's residents. Transportation is a vital engine of our economy, ensuring people can get to their jobs and that goods can get from businesses to customers. While we allow our bridges and roads to fall into disrepair, we are failing to meet the needs of our growing population and economy.

Recent opportunities to improve our nation's infrastructure have been thwarted by the political games of the Republican Party in Washington. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are invested in creating jobs at home by ensuring our transportation network is safe and efficient, and by going a step further. Democratic efforts to invest in projects such as high-speed rail, renewable energy, and broadband internet would create millions of jobs while ensuring that our nation stays on the cutting-edge.

Previous generations recognized the necessity of infrastructure innovations and now is our opportunity to pay the same progress forward. Let's put our family members, friends and neighbors to work and build the transportation network of tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Jenna Price

Editor:

As National Infrastructure Week kicks off, I am calling on Republican politicians including our representative, XXX, to stop blocking investments that would repair our crumbling infrastructure and create jobs. Our nations' aging highways, bridges, and water systems are in urgent need of repair, but the Republicans continue to oppose the necessary investments which make our transportation system safer, create jobs, and alleviate congestion in and around our major cities.

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan is the most overt example of the GOP's willingness to cut costs without any regard for the impact their ill-conceived decisions may have on a community. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appointed the emergency mangers who decided to draw water from the polluted Flint River, and then Congressional Republicans doubled down on their failure by refusing to approve the funding needed to replace Flint's corroded pipes.

Ignoring a problem won't solve it. The AFL-CIO, the Chamber of Commerce and other groups recognize the need to repair, improve, and expand America's crumbling infrastructure. It's time for the GOP to do the same.

Sincerely,
Deshundra Jefferson

Editor:

National Infrastructure Week isn't the sexiest of causes to celebrate - that much I know. But what I also know is this: infrastructure is fundamental to our economy and our daily lives. Think about it: every day we use bridges, roads, and airports to get around; every day we use the internet to connect with the world; and every day we use products that were created in factories and arrived safely to the stores we bought them in.

However, our nation's infrastructure is crumbling. We need to make investments quickly or risk paying the consequences. Both Democratic candidates for president have detailed plans for investing in infrastructure that would create millions of jobs and give Americans the 21st century transportation network they deserve.

The presumptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump? He hasn't a clue. In fact, as it relates to infrastructure, the only concrete thing<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/politics/donald-trump-runs-for-president-this-time-for-real-he-says.html> we've heard he'll do is build a "great wall" to keep out rapists and other criminals who are apparently making their way over in droves. Seriously. As Trump even declared at a campaign rally in Tampa, Florida, "You watch, and that wall will go up like magic."

Our country doesn't need a wall. What we need are bridges, and we need them now more than ever.

Sincerely,
Walter Garcia

TJ Helmstetter
Deputy Director of Regional and Specialty Media
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8022 - desk
973.464.9224 - cell
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>