ICYMI: Davids Warns U.S. Risks Falling Behind China Without Long-Term Infrastructure Investment

Yesterday, Representative Sharice Davids published an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner highlighting the importance of long-term infrastructure investment to strengthen America’s competitiveness against China, support economic growth, and keep Kansas moving forward.

The piece comes after Davids voted last week in the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to advance a bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill investing in roads, bridges, transit, rail, and transportation safety programs. While the legislation does not include every Davids-supported provision, it would create good-paying jobs, strengthen supply chains, and improve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods.

Read the full piece in the Washington Examiner or below:

When most people think about infrastructure, they picture orange cones, traffic jams, and potholes. Trust me — I get frustrated by them, too. But as someone who proudly considers herself an infrastructure nerd, I also see something bigger: whether America is serious about competing for the future.

That’s especially true in Kansas.

Our state sits at the crossroads of the American economy. The roads, railways, bridges, broadband networks, and energy systems that run through Kansas help move crops to market, keep supply chains running, power manufacturers, and connect rural communities to opportunity. When those systems fail, the consequences ripple far beyond our state lines.

That’s why, since coming to Congress, I’ve made infrastructure one of my top priorities as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I went to the White House to help negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure law, and I worked alongside colleagues from both parties to help write and pass it because I believed then — and still believe now — that America cannot afford to fall behind.

Make no mistake: we are in a global competition.

China is investing aggressively in transportation, logistics, ports, manufacturing capacity, and energy infrastructure because they understand something simple: economic strength depends on whether goods, people, and information can move quickly, safely, and efficiently.

America must understand that too.

The next surface transportation reauthorization bill is a test of whether Congress is willing to build on the progress we made through the bipartisan infrastructure law or retreat back into the cycle of short-term patches and political dysfunction that left our infrastructure lagging behind for years.

In Kansas, we are already seeing what long-term investment can accomplish.

The bipartisan infrastructure law is helping folks in Olathe replace aging lead pipes so families can trust the water coming from their taps.

It is strengthening the electric grid in central and western Kansas, helping reduce wildfire risks and expand access to affordable energy.

Communities from Wichita to Ottawa and Overland Park are improving road safety and preventing fatal crashes.

And expanded broadband infrastructure is helping connect rural and underserved communities to jobs, education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. 

These projects are not abstract political talking points. They create jobs. They help farmers and manufacturers move products more efficiently. They strengthen supply chains. They lower long-term costs. They provide stability. And they help make sure communities in Kansas can compete economically for decades to come.

That certainty matters.

Businesses do not invest based on two-year political fights. Manufacturers do not hire workers or expand facilities based on congressional chaos. States cannot responsibly plan major transportation projects while wondering whether Washington will pull the rug out from under them every few years.

That’s why the next transportation reauthorization bill matters so much — and why Congress can’t afford to delay it.

And frankly, Kansas understands this better than most places.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Kansan, created the interstate highway system because he understood infrastructure was about more than roads. It was about national strength, economic growth, mobility, security, and preparing America for the future.

That same mindset should guide us now.

And this should not be a partisan issue. The bipartisan infrastructure law proved that when Congress comes together and focuses on solving problems instead of scoring political points, we can still deliver real results for the American people.

Now we have an opportunity to keep building.

America cannot outcompete China with crumbling roads, aging freight systems, and outdated infrastructure. Kansas families, workers, farmers, and businesses deserve better than that. And if Congress is willing to stay focused on the future instead of the politics of the moment, we can get there.