WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined Senate Democratic leaders Tuesday to announce a 10-year, $1 trillion proposal to rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and create 15 million middle-class jobs.

The proposal, “Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure,” would rebuild roads, bridges, railways, water systems, broadband networks, VA hospitals, schools and airports throughout the United States.

“Look, this is kind of a ‘no-brainer.’ Whether you are in the state of Vermont or the state of California, you understand that our infrastructure is crumbling: our roads, our bridges, our water systems, our wastewater plants, our airports, our levies and our dams,” Sanders told a Capitol news conference.

“What we need to do is to invest $1 trillion over the next 10 years to rebuild that crumbling infrastructure. We used to lead the world. The United States was No.1 in the quality of our infrastructure. Today, we are No. 12,” said Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee.

“When we rebuild our infrastructure, we rebuild the middle class because we can create up to 15 million decent-paying jobs in all areas of life: in urban America, in rural America, for all of our people,” Sanders added.

The American Society of Civil Engineers says the United States must spend $1.6 trillion above current levels to get our infrastructure to a state of good repair. Today, the United States spends less on infrastructure, as a percent of the gross domestic product, than at any time in the past 20 years.

“President Trump campaigned on rebuilding the infrastructure. Let’s do it, but let’s do it in a way that does not provide huge tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country and to the largest corporations,” Sanders said. “I hope very much that this is an issue where all of us can get together because it is certainly something the American people want.”

In Vermont, $700 million a year is needed through 2018 to get roads to a state of good repair, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, which also notes that 30 percent of Vermont’s bridges are deficient and 16 percent of Vermont’s dams are classified as high or significant-hazard potential.

Vermont’s infrastructure, the group said, also requires: $510 million over the next 20 years to be invested in the community drinking water systems and an additional $156 million in funds for annual repairs and upgrades to Vermont’s wastewater and storm water facilities.

“President Trump campaigned on rebuilding the infrastructure. Let’s do it, but let’s do it in a way that does not provide huge tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country and to the largest corporations,” Sanders said. “I hope very much that this is an issue where all of us can get together because it is certainly something the American people want.”

To read the Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure, click here.