JFK Assassination Forum
JFK Assassination Plus General Discussion & Debate => JFK Assassination Plus General Discussion And Debate => Topic started by: Joe Elliott on January 29, 2022, 03:43:29 AM
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Pittsburgh Bridge Collapses Hours Before Biden’s Visit
At least 10 people were injured when a snow-covered bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday morning, hours before President Biden was scheduled to visit the city and speak about infrastructure.
The Wall Street Journal
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/pittsburgh-bridge-collapses-hours-before-biden-s-visit/vi-AATfxUV?ocid=msedgntp (https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/pittsburgh-bridge-collapses-hours-before-biden-s-visit/vi-AATfxUV?ocid=msedgntp)
The wisdom of President’s Biden policy on improving the nation’s infrastructure is clearly shown here. It’s not what I would have done if I was President. If I was President, I would have concentrated on prosecuting as many people as possible involved in the Presidential Coup attempt of 2020-2021. Better to have our bridges collapse then to have democracy collapse, which is still in major peril. The elections of 2022 and 2024 are critical. Still, President Biden has focused on an important issue that has been neglected for too long.
Questions:
How long before conspiracy theorists start saying the bridge collapse was caused by the government, similar to the claims made by the 911 Truthers?
How long before a member of this forum start pushing such a theory?
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I'm pretty sure we will hear that narrative from these right wing conspiracy theorists.
Improving American infrastructure is one of the most important actions from Congress and a President. Only about 12 Republicans supported revitalizing America, making our structures safe, and putting more Americans to work with good paying jobs. The rest of these right wingers opposed President Biden's Infrastructure Bill. They were openly threatening other Republicans to not support the Bill and Criminal Donald was working the phones calling Republicans to vote "no". He was trying sabotage this Bill from passing and keeping America from being successful. That's how evil and hateful Criminal Donald is just because he was an absolute joke and failed to get an Infrastructure Bill written and passed.
Criminal Donald used the joke of a slogan "America First". He only puts himself first and America was last under his failed lack of leadership including giving us the worst economic crisis since The Great Depression. Right wing Republicans did not put "America First" by voting against this important Infrastructure Bill.
The collapse of this bridge shows how important this Bill is needing to improve our crumbling infrastructure which hasn't been updated in decades. Some structures have never been repaired since they were built.
The fact is President Biden and the Democratic Congress got this Bill written and passed. Republicans voted against it and some are now trying to falsely take credit for it because they are frauds and know how popular this Bill is even in red states. Republicans voted against President Biden's Infrastructure Bill because they are hateful partisan hacks and didn't want this President to get credit for passing the largest Infrastructure Bill in American history.
Well, the joke is on them, because President Biden did get it done and he was able to get support from 12 Republicans making it a bipartisan victory. This is another reason why the GOP will lose in 2022 and 2024. Republicans offer no issues and have no plans to improve the lives of Americans. All they do is obstruct and push phony conspiracy theories. When President Biden and Democrats were working hard to get this historic bill passed, Republicans were talking about Sesame Street and the useless "Critical Race Theory" to rile up their racist base. How does those conspiracy theories Republicans push help to improve people's lives? It doesn't...and it's why they are going to lose once again this November.
The simple fact is, we never would have had this Infrastructure Bill if it was up to Republicans. Republicans don't care about improving our country or the lives of working class Americans. They voted in 2017 to give billionaires tax cuts for owning a private jet but voted NO in 2021 for making bridges safe when they are now starting to collapse. No other President accomplished passing an Infrastructure Bill of this magnitude except for President Biden and he gets full credit for this amazing feat.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/pittsburgh-bridge-collapses-hours-before-biden-s-visit/vi-AATfxUV?ocid=msedgntp (https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/pittsburgh-bridge-collapses-hours-before-biden-s-visit/vi-AATfxUV?ocid=msedgntp)
The wisdom of President’s Biden policy on improving the nation’s infrastructure is clearly shown here. It’s not what I would have done if I was President. If I was President, I would have concentrated on prosecuting as many people as possible involved in the Presidential Coup attempt of 2020-2021. Better to have our bridges collapse then to have democracy collapse, which is still in major peril. The elections of 2022 and 2024 are critical. Still, President Biden has focused on an important issue that has been neglected for too long.
Questions:
How long before conspiracy theorists start saying the bridge collapse was caused by the government, similar to the claims made by the 911 Truthers?
How long before a member of this forum start pushing such a theory?
Wisdom? The collapsed bridge is more symbolic of Biden's failed promise to unite the country. And his disastrous administration. Almost none of the "infrastructure" money is going to infrastructure. It is being spent on woke projects to enrich the lobbyists of establishment politicians.
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Wisdom? The collapsed bridge is more symbolic of Biden's failed promise to unite the country. And his disastrous administration. Almost none of the "infrastructure" money is going to infrastructure. It is being spent on woke projects to enrich the lobbyists of establishment politicians.
Total BS:
Right wingers have zero interest in uniting since they have been trying to sabotage President Biden since the day he won the election trying to install lunatic Criminal Donald as a fake "president".
Money is already being allocated for infrastructure projects in states and right wingers that voted against this historic infrastructure bill are falsley trying to take credit for it.
President Biden implemented the most historic infrastructure bill in American history.
Hinson Takes Credit for Infrastructure Funds She Labeled as ‘Socialist,’ Voted Against
US Rep. Ashley Hinson compared the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to socialism, but that didn’t stop her from taking credit for funds from the legislation that she voted against.
The US Army Corps of Engineers allocated $829.1 million from the infrastructure bill to modernize the lock and dam system on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. The Mississippi River runs alongside a portion of Hinson’s congressional district.
In sharing a press release from her office about the project, Hinson tweeted “BREAKING: We secured $829 million in federal funding to upgrade locks & dams along the Upper Mississippi River.”
While it is true Hinson has advocated for targeted infrastructure updates on Iowa’s waterways, the Republican freshman legislator not only voted against the infrastructure act that’s funding the Mississippi River project, she slammed it as “Washington Gamesmanship” when it passed.
“Too often in Washington, the potential for important, bipartisan policy is torpedoed by partisan politics,” Hinson said in a Nov. 8 release. “The need to make meaningful investments in our nation’s real infrastructure—roads and bridges, locks and dams, and broadband—was sacrificed to advance a partisan, socialist spending spree.”
The release came three days after Hinson voted “no” and delivered a floor speech in the US House criticizing the bill. Hinson also compared the infrastructure bill to Marxism in her Nov. 8 press release.
“It’s the biggest leap toward socialism this nation has ever seen—it takes the Marxist ideology that once only existed in textbooks and makes it law in the United States of America,” she said.
Hinson, who is up for reelection in the fall, is being challenged by Democrat Liz Mathis to represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Mathis, an Iowa state senator, called out Hinson’s news release as an attempt to “mislead Iowans.”
“Despite Ashley Hinson’s attempt to claim credit for this much-needed investment, she voted against the bill that made it possible,” Mathis said. “This is yet another example of Ashley Hinson claiming that she supports investments that benefit Iowans, but voting along party lines against their best interests in Washington. Iowa’s 2nd District deserves a representative who will work across the aisle to pass legislation and secure funding that directly benefits the district she represents.”
Of Iowa’s six federal delegates, only Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley voted in favor of the infrastructure bill.
The Infrastructure act will allocate about $5 billion to Iowa and is expected to create a plethora of good-paying jobs.
According to a White House fact sheet, over five years Iowa will receive $3.4 billion for roads, $638 million for water-quality projects, $432 million for bridge repair and replacement, $302 million for public transportation, $120 million for airports, $100 million for broadband, $51 million for an electric vehicle charging network, and more.
https://iowastartingline.com/2022/01/19/hinson-takes-credit-for-infrastructure-funds-she-labeled-as-socialist-voted-against/
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Total BS:
Right wingers have zero interest in uniting since they have been trying to sabotage President Biden since the day he won the election trying to install lunatic Criminal Donald as a fake "president".
Money is already being allocated for infrastructure projects in states and right wingers that voted against this historic infrastructure bill are falsley trying to take credit for it.
President Biden implemented the most historic infrastructure bill in American history.
Hinson Takes Credit for Infrastructure Funds She Labeled as ‘Socialist,’ Voted Against
US Rep. Ashley Hinson compared the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to socialism, but that didn’t stop her from taking credit for funds from the legislation that she voted against.
The US Army Corps of Engineers allocated $829.1 million from the infrastructure bill to modernize the lock and dam system on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. The Mississippi River runs alongside a portion of Hinson’s congressional district.
In sharing a press release from her office about the project, Hinson tweeted “BREAKING: We secured $829 million in federal funding to upgrade locks & dams along the Upper Mississippi River.”
While it is true Hinson has advocated for targeted infrastructure updates on Iowa’s waterways, the Republican freshman legislator not only voted against the infrastructure act that’s funding the Mississippi River project, she slammed it as “Washington Gamesmanship” when it passed.
“Too often in Washington, the potential for important, bipartisan policy is torpedoed by partisan politics,” Hinson said in a Nov. 8 release. “The need to make meaningful investments in our nation’s real infrastructure—roads and bridges, locks and dams, and broadband—was sacrificed to advance a partisan, socialist spending spree.”
The release came three days after Hinson voted “no” and delivered a floor speech in the US House criticizing the bill. Hinson also compared the infrastructure bill to Marxism in her Nov. 8 press release.
“It’s the biggest leap toward socialism this nation has ever seen—it takes the Marxist ideology that once only existed in textbooks and makes it law in the United States of America,” she said.
Hinson, who is up for reelection in the fall, is being challenged by Democrat Liz Mathis to represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Mathis, an Iowa state senator, called out Hinson’s news release as an attempt to “mislead Iowans.”
“Despite Ashley Hinson’s attempt to claim credit for this much-needed investment, she voted against the bill that made it possible,” Mathis said. “This is yet another example of Ashley Hinson claiming that she supports investments that benefit Iowans, but voting along party lines against their best interests in Washington. Iowa’s 2nd District deserves a representative who will work across the aisle to pass legislation and secure funding that directly benefits the district she represents.”
Of Iowa’s six federal delegates, only Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley voted in favor of the infrastructure bill.
The Infrastructure act will allocate about $5 billion to Iowa and is expected to create a plethora of good-paying jobs.
According to a White House fact sheet, over five years Iowa will receive $3.4 billion for roads, $638 million for water-quality projects, $432 million for bridge repair and replacement, $302 million for public transportation, $120 million for airports, $100 million for broadband, $51 million for an electric vehicle charging network, and more.
https://iowastartingline.com/2022/01/19/hinson-takes-credit-for-infrastructure-funds-she-labeled-as-socialist-voted-against/
The right wingers did not run on a promise of uniting the country. Old Joe did. That is something that Old Joe said he would do. He didn't place any caveats on that promise. He said he could do it based on his long experience in Congress. If it was not possible, then he should not have promised that he could do it. Much like his promise to "shutdown" the virus. He campaigned on having the ability to do that. Perhaps he had a magic wand. He didn't say there were factors beyond his ability to end the pandemic. He promised to do it.
The fact that Biden ran on false promises is his own fault and no one else. He is now playing out the time-honored political establishment excuses. Make promises, fail to deliver, and then blame your opponents as though you didn't anticipate that they might object to your agenda. Repeat endlessly. The so-called "infrastructure" bill was nothing more than a pork bill for cronies of the political establishment. It had little to offer in the way of what most consider to be infrastructure. It is the oldest trick in politics to give a bill a friendly sounding name but then include every manner of pork. The republicans were complicit in Biden's fraud as they used the bill to pay off their own cronies. Change is coming though. Soon.
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The right wingers did not run on a promise of uniting the country. Old Joe did. That is something that Old Joe said he would do. He didn't place any caveats on that promise. He said he could do it based on his long experience in Congress. If it was not possible, then he should not have promised that he could do it. Much like his promise to "shutdown" the virus. He campaigned on having the ability to do that. Perhaps he had a magic wand. He didn't say there were factors beyond his ability to end the pandemic. He promised to do it.
The fact that Biden ran on false promises is his own fault and no one else. He is now playing out the time-honored political establishment excuses. Make promises, fail to deliver, and then blame your opponents as though you didn't anticipate that they might object to your agenda. Repeat endlessly. The so-called "infrastructure" bill was nothing more than a pork bill for cronies of the political establishment. It had little to offer in the way of what most consider to be infrastructure. It is the oldest trick in politics to give a bill a friendly sounding name but then include every manner of pork. The republicans were complicit in Biden's fraud as they used the bill to pay off their own cronies. Change is coming though. Soon.
Same old talking points and nothing of substance. And this is the change that 81 million Americans voted for and want and will continue to support. You are in the minority.
Sorry, uniting is a two way street. Republicans tried to steal an election from President Biden via an illegal coup just like they are sabotaging his efforts to end this pandemic.
Criminal Donald LIED and promised that Mexico would pay for a "big beautiful wall" from California to Texas. That was nothing but b.s. and you believed it. He also lied and said he would end all crime and immigration. Another lie. He also said he would have a GDP over 4 and that was a lie too. But President Biden got it to over 5 in just one year.
President Biden ran on "Build Back Better" and that's exactly what he did. He completely turned around Criminal Donald's economic disaster and created 6.4 million jobs which is the most created by any President in history in under one year. He also created the greatest economy on record and passed the most historic infrastructure bill in American history and cut child poverty in half.
Once again you are posting BS:
The infrastructure bill revitalizes American cities and American infrastructure. There is no "pork" and it's why right wingers are falsely trying to take credit for the Bill after they voted against it because they know it's popular with Americans
As usual, you post no sources or links for your debunked talking points.
I invite everyone reading this thread to check out your state government website and you can look up yourself how much money is going to your state and which infrastructure projects will be funded. It's all itemized and the money is going to repair roads, bridges, ports, dams, removing lead pipes, and for new construction projects that states already had plans for but needed the money to fund.
Here is President Biden's Infrastructure Law that was voted on and it's not "pork" which Richard falsely posted. It details everything that will transform America and put this country first.
President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
https://www.whitehouse.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/
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Same old talking points and nothing of substance. And this is the change that 81 million Americans voted for and want and will continue to support. You are in the minority.
Sorry, uniting is a two way street. Republicans tried to steal an election from President Biden via an illegal coup just like they are sabotaging his efforts to end this pandemic.
Criminal Donald LIED and promised that Mexico would pay for a "big beautiful wall" from California to Texas. That was nothing but b.s. and you believed it. He also lied and said he would end all crime and immigration. Another lie. He also said he would have a GDP over 4 and that was a lie too. But President Biden got it to over 5 in just one year.
President Biden ran on "Build Back Better" and that's exactly what he did. He completely turned around Criminal Donald's economic disaster and created 6.4 million jobs which is the most created by any President in history in under one year. He also created the greatest economy on record and passed the most historic infrastructure bill in American history and cut child poverty in half.
Once again you are posting BS:
The infrastructure bill revitalizes American cities and American infrastructure. There is no "pork" and it's why right wingers are falsely trying to take credit for the Bill after they voted against it because they know it's popular with Americans
As usual, you post no sources or links for your debunked talking points.
I invite everyone reading this thread to check out your state government website and you can look up yourself how much money is going to your state and which infrastructure projects will be funded. It's all itemized and the money is going to repair roads, bridges, ports, dams, removing lead pipes, and for new construction projects that states already had plans for but needed the money to fund.
Here is President Biden's Infrastructure Law that was voted on and it's not "pork" which Richard falsely posted. It details everything that will transform America and put this country first.
President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
https://www.whitehouse.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/
Don't take my word for it. Check the polls. When Old Joe left his basement to go to Pittsburgh, none of the local Dem politicians wanted to be seen with him. They had "scheduling conflicts." They were too busy to meet the President. He is that toxic. Biden gets down on his bony, old man knees every night and prays for the republicans to win back Congress in 2022. That will allow him to roll out Rick's excuses for his failures by blaming the republicans. Again, if uniting the country or shutting down the virus was beyond his capabilities, he should not have promised that he could do so. Just another failed establishment politician. That is why you got Trump in the first place. The public is disgusted by these life-long career bureaucrats who lie and enrich themselves at the public's expense. Biden had his chance to prove them wrong. He has failed. Miserably. So when you get Trump again in 2024 there is no one to blame but Old Joe.
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Don't take my word for it. Check the polls. When Old Joe left his basement to go to Pittsburgh, none of the local Dem politicians wanted to be seen with him. They had "scheduling conflicts." They were too busy to meet the President. He is that toxic. Biden gets down on his bony, old man knees every night and prays for the republicans to win back Congress in 2022. That will allow him to roll out Rick's excuses for his failures by blaming the republicans. Again, if uniting the country or shutting down the virus was beyond his capabilities, he should not have promised that he could do so. Just another failed establishment politician. That is why you got Trump in the first place. The public is disgusted by these life-long career bureaucrats who lie and enrich themselves at the public's expense. Biden had his chance to prove them wrong. He has failed. Miserably. So when you get Trump again in 2024 there is no one to blame but Old Joe.
:D :D :D
More words, more nonsense, more falsehoods. Richard never posts any documented sources or evidence for his false claims, just like his nonsense about the Infrastructure Bill being "pork" because it's all false right wing propaganda in order to smear President Biden. The desperation here is pathetic.
'We've got to move': Bridge collapse provides backdrop for President Biden's infrastructure talk in Pittsburgh
Several elected officials took the podium before Mr. Biden, with Gov. Tom Wolf saying the bridge collapse “was a real tragedy” due to the injuries inflicted and the damage to a major thoroughfare, and he assured that the commonwealth is working to fix it. He emphasized that it could have been prevented with investment in infrastructure.
“It made me feel proud that the president of the United States had our back,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said, referring to Mr. Biden’s detour to visit the site of the bridge collapse.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2022/01/28/President-Biden-will-make-second-visit-of-his-presidency-to-Pittsburgh-today/stories/202201280059
President Biden created 6.4 million jobs which is the most jobs created in American history. He turned around Criminal Donald's economic disaster.
President Biden passed the largest Infrastructure Bill in American history.
Nobody can argue against that.
Criminal Donald will be in prison for treason by 2024 and 81 million Americans who defeated Criminal Donald will not vote for a fascist GOP Trump stooge.
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President Biden's Infrastructure Law will transform Pennsylvania's infrastructure by investing money into roads, bridges, airports while providing residents with new good paying jobs. Every Pennsylvanian will now have access to high speed internet where there is currently no access in rural Pennsylvania. Lead pipes will be removed and residents will now be able to have clean drinking water without the danger of toxic chemicals. Republicans call this investment into America "pork" because the money isn't going to billionaires and corporations in tax cut giveaways. The GOP would rather give huge tax cuts for billionaires who own private jets than fund the crumbling infrastructure all around American cities. A bridge just collapsed making this Infrastructure Law all the more important to get to work to fix these deficient bridges and roads. We can thank President Biden for making this all possible with his historic infrastructure bill to Build Back Better as Republicans voted against this Bill to put America First. Just another reason why the GOP will lose in a landslide in November. The GOP does nothing for the middle class and hard working Americans. They vote NO against Americans every single time.
Wolf Administration Highlights Anticipated Funding Through Federal Infrastructure Plan
November 09, 2021
Governor Tom Wolf today shared an overview of enhancements Pennsylvania anticipates receiving through the passage of President Joe Biden’s bold, historic $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“This comprehensive package will provide critical federal funding to Pennsylvania’s infrastructure, support economic growth throughout the commonwealth, and provide stable, good-paying jobs for Pennsylvanians,” said Gov. Wolf.
“Restoring the commonwealth’s infrastructure has been a priority throughout my administration and I am grateful for President Biden’s and our Democratic Congressional Delegation’s shared vision and leadership on this important issue.”
Based on historical formula funding, the White House anticipates Pennsylvania receiving the following infrastructure improvements with federal funding:
Repair and rebuild roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Based on formula funding, Pennsylvania would expect to receive $11.3 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs.
Improve health, sustainable transportation options. Through formula funding, Pennsylvania expects to receive $2.8 billion over five years to improve public transportation options across the commonwealth.
Build a network of electronic vehicle (EV) chargers to facilitate long-distance travel and provide convenient charging options. Pennsylvania expects to receive $171 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network across the commonwealth.
Help connect every Pennsylvanian to reliable high-speed internet. Pennsylvania will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the commonwealth, including providing access to the at least 394,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack coverage. Additionally, 23 percent of Pennsylvanians will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access.
Prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, cyber-attacks, and extreme weather events. Based on historical formula funding levels, Pennsylvanian will expect to receive $49 million over five years to protect against wildfires and $26 million to protect against cyber-attacks. Pennsylvanians will also benefit from the bill’s historic $3.5 billion national investment in weatherization which will reduce energy costs for families.
Deliver clean drinking water to Pennsylvanians. Based on the traditional state revolving fund formula, Pennsylvania will expect to receive $1.4 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure and ensure clean, safe drinking water throughout the commonwealth.
Improve commonwealth airports. Pennsylvania’s airports expect to receive $355 million for infrastructure improvements over the next five years.
“These critical investments, along with state-level solutions, will help close Pennsylvania’s growing transportation funding gap, connect Pennsylvanians to opportunities and each other, and move our commonwealth forward,” said. Gov. Wolf. “I look forward to the benefits this historic investment will provide in modernizing our infrastructure for the future of Pennsylvania.”
https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/wolf-administration-highlights-anticipated-funding-through-federal-infrastructure-plan/
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:D :D :D
More words, more nonsense, more falsehoods. Richard never posts any documented sources or evidence for his false claims, just like his nonsense about the Infrastructure Bill being "pork" because it's all false right wing propaganda in order to smear President Biden. The desperation here is pathetic.
Documented sources? LOL. That's rich. You mean do I spend countless hours cutting and pasting online propaganda from the Internet to a JFK assassination forum until I have filled it up with several hundred pages of nonsense? No.
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Thanks President Biden!
Pittsburgh snagged nearly 1/3 of infrastructure bill's funding for inland waterways
The Port of Pittsburgh has locked in an “unprecedented” amount of funding to overhaul a critical piece of the nation’s inland waterway system, U.S. Senator Bob Casey announced on Wednesday. The $857 million allocation for the Montgomery Locks and Dam, located near Monaca, Pa., represents nearly a third of all the money Congress set aside for inland waterways in its 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill.
“This is a big win,” Casey said. “It will allow us to move commerce throughout not just southwestern Pennsylvania but throughout the waterway system of the United States. It allows us to be competitive.”
Nearly 21 million tons of goods move through the Port of Pittsburgh each year, and if one of its locks and dams should go down, “the economy of a large segment of America would be adversely impacted,” Casey said.
The Montgomery Locks and Dam improvement is part of a larger effort called the Upper Ohio Navigation Project, which aims to overhaul three locks and dams on the Ohio River: Emsworth, Dashields, and Montgomery. The three facilities are the first on the Ohio River, which leads deep into the interior of the U.S., and then on to the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. All three opened before 1936 and have the smallest capacity of any of the facilities along the Ohio River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
As if to underscore the facility’s importance, traffic on the river came to a near-halt last month while Montgomery underwent significant repairs, said Mary Ann Bucci, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh.
“The back-ups were up to 10 days,” she said. “These barges and tugboats were sitting for 10 days. And you know any transportation company is not making money when they’re not delivering freight.”
The facility is estimated to have a 50% chance of failure by 2028. “Now we don’t have to worry about that,” Bucci said.
Unlike efforts to fix other locks and dams in the region, the overhaul of Montgomery is entirely covered by the federal allocation. Bids to build two new 600-foot chambers can be put out all at once, so that the region won’t find itself in “year 28 of a 10-year project,” Bucci said, referring to the long-running effort to complete the Lower Mon project to replace the three oldest locks and dams on that river.
The investment is just the first of many in the nation’s infrastructure, and will generate family-sustaining jobs, said Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council. Kelly estimates the work on Montgomery alone could create 1,000 jobs.
“This is another artery that opens up for our great city,” he said. “Pittsburgh is one of the busiest landlocked ports in the world” and will hopefully soon be able to handle larger ships.
But while the repairs to the Montgomery Locks and Dam are fully funded, the money to complete the rest of the Upper Ohio Navigation project remains uncommitted.
Casey and Bucci said they will continue to work to find the funding.
https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2022-01-19/unprecedented-funding-for-pittsburgh-locks-and-dams-hailed-as-a-win
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Thanks President Biden!
Pittsburgh snagged nearly 1/3 of infrastructure bill's funding for inland waterways
The Port of Pittsburgh has locked in an “unprecedented” amount of funding to overhaul a critical piece of the nation’s inland waterway system, U.S. Senator Bob Casey announced on Wednesday. The $857 million allocation for the Montgomery Locks and Dam, located near Monaca, Pa., represents nearly a third of all the money Congress set aside for inland waterways in its 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill.
“This is a big win,” Casey said. “It will allow us to move commerce throughout not just southwestern Pennsylvania but throughout the waterway system of the United States. It allows us to be competitive.”
Nearly 21 million tons of goods move through the Port of Pittsburgh each year, and if one of its locks and dams should go down, “the economy of a large segment of America would be adversely impacted,” Casey said.
It's too bad there will be no truckers to unload it and the goods will cost too much for anyone to buy due to record inflation or they will be stolen off the trains due to record crime. Old Joe has already gone into hiding like Trudeau in Canada. The chickens are coming home to roost for those that imposed the lockdowns. Now confirmed by John Hopkins to have provided no benefit in slowing COVID deaths but resulting in enormous harm to society.
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Biden hypes infrastructure funding in wake of Pittsburgh bridge disaster
The president said the collapse underscored the importance of his $1.2 trillion infrastructure program and spoke on the importance of investments in American manufacturing.
Visiting the Steel City just hours after a bridge collapse, President Joe Biden held up the episode as an example of dilapidated national infrastructure whose repair his administration has already made a priority.
Ten people were injured when the Forbes Avenue bridge in Pittsburgh's Breezy Point neighborhood collapsed early Friday morning, ahead of Biden's scheduled appearance in the city.
The president said the bridge had been rated in poor condition for the past 10 years. Its ruin, he went on, underscores the need for Pittsburgh and cities throughout the country to receive federal funds to repair aging infrastructure. "What you all know, if you don't you should know, there are another 3,300 bridges here in Pennsylvania, some of which are just as old and just as decrepit condition is that one was, including here in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges," Biden said.
Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill lays out $26.5 billion for bridges alone, a price tag the president said is the largest investment in bridges since President Dwight Eisenhower's construction of the interstate highway system.
"We're going to rebuild that bridge, along with thousands of other bridges in Pennsylvania and across the country, because it's in our interest for our own safety's sake and it generates commerce in a way that we can't do now," Biden said.
The president emphasized that, in addition to improving community resources, the infrastructure legislation will also create local union jobs. The White House has estimated the plan will add approximately 2 million jobs every year for the next 10 years.
"We always do better when ordinary hardworking people have a shot," Biden said. "The middle class built this country and unions built the middle class."
In what was the first indication of the president's messaging headed into the midterm elections and his promise to spend more time outside of Washington during his second year in office, Biden placed a heavy emphasis on the American economy.
The U.S. economy grew 5.7% this year, the quickest growth since the Reagan administration, and Biden finished his first year in office with a quarter of economic growth that outpaced many economists' estimates.
"Every action I've taken to rebuild the economy has been guided by one principle: Make it in America, like we used to. No one knows that better than all the folks in Pittsburgh. And that's why it matters so much," Biden said.
"To build a truly strong economy we need a future that's made in America," the president added.
Biden urged Congress to reach a consensus on the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, a measure that has been described as a "competitiveness bill" that would invest $90 billion in research and manufacturing and expand semiconductor production in the U.S.
"Other countries are catching up fast, but we can and we must change that trajectory. We have an opportunity ahead of us right now," Biden said, referencing manufacturing and innovation growth in China.
The USICA legislation passed the Senate with support from both parties but is stalling in the House where lawmakers are expected to introduce their own version of the bill soon.
"My expectation is this continue to be a bipartisan effort God willing, just like the infrastructure," Biden said.
While taking care not to directly address the recent goings-on in D.C., making no mention of the filibuster or voting rights, the president continued to reference the Build Back Better Act, legislation that, among other things, aimed to reduce the cost of child care and place limits on insulin and prescription drug prices. The bill is stalled in the Senate and unlikely to pass in its entirety.
"Imagine being a parent making the minimum wage or twice the minimum wage, having a child with Type 1 diabetes, knowing that, if you have no insurance, knowing that if you cannot get that money for this, that child might die," Biden said.
The president became increasingly passionate as he described the stakes of the policy battle.
"In addition to your child, it strips you of your dignity, dammit. Can you imagine looking at your child, knowing what they need and not be able to do it?" the president asked, looking up as though clearly focused on the image he conjured up in this hypothetical.
Rounding out his speech on a hopeful note, the president described this moment in American politics as one defined by choices that depend on bipartisanship.
"Here's the bottom line: The United States is in a position to out compete the rest of the world once again. We're at a real inflection point. Technology, society is changing and we've always been ahead of the curve. We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. We still face tremendous challenges. If we can keep coming together and invest in the backbone of this country, there's no limit to what we can achieve."
https://www.courthousenews.com/biden-hypes-infrastructure-funding-in-wake-of-pittsburgh-bridge-disaster/
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Rick's breathless coverage of Biden's visit to Pittsburgh somehow omitted the following story from the leftist CNN. So for the sake of completeness here goes:
Joe Biden is going to Pennsylvania today. Top Democrats are avoiding him.
(CNN)President Joe Biden's planned visit to Pennsylvania on Friday tells you everything you need to know about his current dismal political standing.
Biden is set to be in Pittsburgh for an event designed to promote the infrastructure package passed into law last year. (Biden is still going forward with the trip following a bridge collapse in the city Friday morning.) When he stops by the Steel City, two of the state's top Democrats won't be there.
Both Pennsylvania Lt. Gov, John Fetterman and Attorney General Josh Shapiro are not slated to appear with Biden, citing scheduling conflicts.
The truth is that if Biden was at 60% approval -- either nationally or in Pennsylvania -- those scheduling conflicts would likely resolve themselves and Fetterman and Shapiro would be in Pittsburgh to bask in Biden's reflected glow. That he is some 15-20 points below that mark guarantees that candidates on the ballot in 2022 are comfortable ghosting him.
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Rick's breathless coverage of Biden's visit to Pittsburgh somehow omitted the following story from the leftist CNN. So for the sake of completeness here goes:
Joe Biden is going to Pennsylvania today. Top Democrats are avoiding him.
(CNN)President Joe Biden's planned visit to Pennsylvania on Friday tells you everything you need to know about his current dismal political standing.
Biden is set to be in Pittsburgh for an event designed to promote the infrastructure package passed into law last year. (Biden is still going forward with the trip following a bridge collapse in the city Friday morning.) When he stops by the Steel City, two of the state's top Democrats won't be there.
Both Pennsylvania Lt. Gov, John Fetterman and Attorney General Josh Shapiro are not slated to appear with Biden, citing scheduling conflicts.
The truth is that if Biden was at 60% approval -- either nationally or in Pennsylvania -- those scheduling conflicts would likely resolve themselves and Fetterman and Shapiro would be in Pittsburgh to bask in Biden's reflected glow. That he is some 15-20 points below that mark guarantees that candidates on the ballot in 2022 are comfortable ghosting him.
:D :D :D
Several elected officials took the podium before Mr. Biden, with Gov. Tom Wolf saying the bridge collapse “was a real tragedy” due to the injuries inflicted and the damage to a major thoroughfare, and he assured that the commonwealth is working to fix it. He emphasized that it could have been prevented with investment in infrastructure.
“It made me feel proud that the president of the United States had our back,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said, referring to Mr. Biden’s detour to visit the site of the bridge collapse.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2022/01/28/President-Biden-will-make-second-visit-of-his-presidency-to-Pittsburgh-today/stories/202201280059
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Rick's breathless coverage of Biden's visit to Pittsburgh somehow omitted the following story from the leftist CNN. So for the sake of completeness here goes:
Joe Biden is going to Pennsylvania today. Top Democrats are avoiding him.
(CNN)President Joe Biden's planned visit to Pennsylvania on Friday tells you everything you need to know about his current dismal political standing.
Biden is set to be in Pittsburgh for an event designed to promote the infrastructure package passed into law last year. (Biden is still going forward with the trip following a bridge collapse in the city Friday morning.) When he stops by the
Steel City, two of the state's top Democrats won't be there.
Both Pennsylvania Lt. Gov, John Fetterman and Attorney General Josh Shapiro are not slated to appear with Biden, citing scheduling conflicts.
The truth is that if Biden was at 60% approval -- either nationally or in Pennsylvania -- those scheduling conflicts would likely resolve themselves and Fetterman and Shapiro would be in Pittsburgh to bask in Biden's reflected glow. That he is some 15-20 points below that mark guarantees that candidates on the ballot in 2022 are comfortable ghosting him.
:D :D :D
Once again, this is more false disinformation. Democratic leaders joined and welcomed the President in Pittsburgh. There are photos and videos which you can see below. CNN is not "leftist", it is owned by right wing AT&T and is pushing dishonest anti Biden propaganda from hacks like Chris Cillizza who wrote this garbage and has zero credibility.
At Site Of Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse, President Joe Biden Promises To ‘Fix Them All’
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Looking across the snow-covered chasm where the Fern Hollow Bridge once stood in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, President Joe Biden touted the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law.
Air Force One touched down shortly before 1 p.m. for Biden’s previously scheduled visit, which was thrown off course after the bridge in Frick Park collapsed hours earlier.
(https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15909642/2022/01/biden-casey-wolf.png?resize=768,432)
Biden arrived at the site of the collapse around 1:15, led by a Pittsburgh and state police motorcade. He was joined by leaders — including Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Tom Wolf, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Congressman Conor Lamb and Mayor Ed Gainey — as he walked to the edge of the chasm.
“I’ve been coming to Pittsburgh a long time, and as a former Pennsylvanian. But I didn’t realize there were more bridges in Pittsburgh than any other city in the world,” Biden said as he stood at the edge, promising to “fix them all.”
Fitzgerald told Biden it was Gainey’s first month on the job, and Biden called the collapse a “christening.” He also talked to first responders about what they saw when they got to the scene.
The president was previously scheduled to visit Mill 19 in Hazelwood to promote the infrastructure law. Hours before the president left for Pittsburgh, the Fern Hollow Bridge on Forbes Avenue over Frick Park collapsed into a ravine, stranding vehicles and injuring 10 people, sending four to the hospital.
The speakers began shortly after 3 p.m. Wolf, Gainey, Fitzgerald and Casey spoke before the president, highlighting the infrastructure bill needed not just to repair bridges like the Fern Hollow bridge, but to also create jobs.
Biden highlighted the infrastructure law’s $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania’s bridges over the next five years, saying the money will fund repairs on the collapsed bridge, which affects a major thoroughfare for residents.
“Next time, we don’t need headlines saying someone was killed in a bridge collapse,” Biden said when he took the podium. He vowed to rebuild the bridge and thousands of others across the country.
Biden also talked about revitalizing manufacturing, creating union jobs and strengthening the nation’s supply chains, lauding job growth. He said there’s been a rise in manufacturing jobs, some of which include investments by companies to start building more electric cards.
He also pushed for his Build Back Better plan during his remarks.
“All of these investments in American research, development and infrastructure are really about one thing: empowering more cities and more towns to do what you’re doing right here in Pittsburgh, transforming yourself from being told you’re a city without a future to becoming a city of the future,” he said.
He also praised Pittsburgh leaders, saying in 15 years, Pittsburgh is “going to lead the world again.”
“It’s not hyperbole. It’s a fact,” he said, pointing to how Pittsburgh has transformed itself from a city of steel manufacturing to a technology hub.
He pivoted to other infrastructure like the $857 million investment in the Montgomery Lock and Dam, which he says moves tons of goods up and down our rivers. He said we must maintain our infrastructure in order to move these goods.
“What you all know, if you don’t you should know, there are another 3,300 bridges here in Pennsylvania, some of which are just as old and just as decrepit condition as that bridge was, including here in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges,” President Biden said.
Despite $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania’s bridges, that comes down to only about $500k per bridge.
Information from PennDOT’s site on bridge conditions listed the bridge as in an overall poor condition. The deck and superstructure were also given a poor rating while the substructure condition was satisfactory. PennDOT said while the city owns the bridge, it is still “actively engaged” in the response.
Fitzgerald called the bridge a “major artery.” Many residents say they travel on it every day and say they’ve heard clanks but never thought a situation of this magnitude could happen.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2022/01/28/president-joe-biden-visit-pittsburgh-bridge-collapse-frick-park/
WATCH LIVE: Biden speaks in Pittsburgh to promote infrastructure law, strengthening supply chain
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:D :D :D
Several elected officials took the podium before Mr. Biden, with Gov. Tom Wolf saying the bridge collapse “was a real tragedy” due to the injuries inflicted and the damage to a major thoroughfare, and he assured that the commonwealth is working to fix it. He emphasized that it could have been prevented with investment in infrastructure.
“It made me feel proud that the president of the United States had our back,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said, referring to Mr. Biden’s detour to visit the site of the bridge collapse.
LOL. Gov. Wolf is not running for re-election. Can you understand the difference? Biden is toxic to anyone running for office due to his many failures and cratering poll numbers. They are staying away or are you suggesting that CNN is "fake news"?
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LOL. Gov. Wolf is not running for re-election. Can you understand the difference? Biden is toxic to anyone running for office due to his many failures and cratering poll numbers. They are staying away or are you suggesting that CNN is "fake news"?
:D :D :D
Yeah, really "toxic" with the greatest economy on record and taking out the ISIS leader.
The article was false. Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Tom Wolf, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Congressman Conor Lamb and Mayor Ed Gainey all joined President Biden in Pittsburgh.
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:D :D :D
Yeah, really "toxic" with the greatest economy on record and taking out the ISIS leader.
The article was false. Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Tom Wolf, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Congressman Conor Lamb and Mayor Ed Gainey all joined President Biden in Pittsburgh.
900K Americans now dead on Biden's watch. And over 2K per day still dying with no end in sight. No wonder the Dems don't want to be seen with him. He is toxic. Election cancer.
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Thanks to President Biden the funding for infrastructure projects in Pittsburgh and its ports are now fully funded, will be state of the art, and well be adding thousands of good new paying jobs!
Infrastructure Law Fully Funds New Montgomery Lock
With more than 97 percent of the Pittsburgh Engineer District’s funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated to the full funding of the Montgomery Locks construction work, developers say it will prevent delays and cost overruns while ensuring continued navigability for decades to come.
The Corps of Engineers released its work plan in January. Among other priorities, it outlined which infrastructure projects along the inland waterways will be funded by the money Congress approved in the bipartisan bill, signed into law in November.
The Pittsburgh Engineer District received $881.9 million in supplemental funding, nearly one-third of the amount in the bill targeted for inland waterways around the nation. Although the funding supports 11 different district projects, including work at several multipurpose reservoirs, the overwhelming bulk of it—$857.7 million—goes to fully funding the design and construction of the new lock at Montgomery Locks and Dam in Monaca, Beaver County, Pa. In fact, the Montgomery Locks and Dam was the district’s only navigation project specified by the IIJA work plan to receive construction funding.
The Montgomery project is part of the overall Upper Ohio Navigation Project that also involves modernizing and upgrading capacity to lock chambers at the Emsworth and Dashields facilities with the goal of increasing infrastructure reliability. The three locks are the oldest and smallest lock chambers on the Ohio River, and each is more than 85 years old.
Construction at Montgomery Locks and Dam (Ohio River Mile 31.7) began in 1932 and was completed in 1936, according to Andrew Byrne, a public affairs specialist for the Pittsburgh Engineer District. The project calls for the existing 56- by 360-foot auxiliary chamber to be replaced with a new main chamber that will measure 600 by 110 feet. Work is being done at the existing main chamber currently to help keep it in operation throughout the construction of the new chamber and thus minimize navigational impacts then, said Steve Fritz, Corps program manager for mega projects.
“Our goal is to keep navigation open, and by keeping navigation open we have to continue to maintain the facility that is there,” Fritz said.
Construction Timetable
The award for the construction contract for the new lock chamber is estimated to be announced in 2024, with construction beginning the same year, said Chris Dening, project manager for the Upper Ohio Navigation Project. The new funding won’t accelerate the timeline for the commencement of construction, but it has the potential to speed the process along.
“The idea of having this fully funded work at Montgomery eliminates the risk of having no funding at all [in future years],” Fritz said.
An example of delays due to lack of funding elsewhere in the Pittsburgh district has been seen with the Lower Monongahela Navigation Project. The Lower Mon Project replaced the nearly 100-year-old fixed-crest dam at Braddock Locks and Dam with a gated dam. It will remove Locks and Dam 3 in Elizabeth and construct two new larger locks at Locks and Dam 4 in Charleroi.
Originally scheduled for completion in 2005, the Lower Mon project is now on the books until 2025 because of years of being authorized without receiving efficient funding. “So we’ve added a significant amount of time and cost to that project because of the inability to secure the right amount of funding,” Fritz said.
The IIJA funding for the Montgomery project avoids those delays, Fritz said.
“It minimizes future impacts and delays to construction that otherwise might be caused if there was a lapse in funding,” Dening said. “This allows us to move forward in full confidence.”
It adds efficiencies to the workflow as well.
“We can do the work out there now with one contract as opposed to having the 15 or 16 contracts that we had for the Charleroi project,” Fritz said. “The Montgomery contractor will not be relying on some other contractor to get work done and to do it the correct way before they could get in there.”
Col. Adam Czekanski, commander of the Pittsburgh District, has also talked about the importance of the funding.
“The inland navigation system is a crucial contributor to national and regional economic success,” he said. “Receiving this supplemental funding will ensure this crucial inland navigation facility continues to provide the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly means of moving bulk commodities for decades to come. We appreciate the continued strong congressional support for this project.”
Next steps on the project will include finishing the design for the new Montgomery chamber in 2022 and 2023, Dening said. It will be constructed riverward of the remaining chamber. The project will then move into the acquisition phase and be let for bid.
Once construction begins, the project is estimated to take eight to 10 years to complete, Dening said.
Presidential Visit
On January 28, President Joe Biden visited Pittsburgh to discuss the infrastructure law and mentioned the Montgomery project specifically.
“We’ve announced a major investment of $858 million to modernize the Montgomery Lock northwest of Pittsburgh – so the water levels stay high enough for barges to pass through up on the upper Ohio River …,” he said. “We move about a half a trillion dollars’ worth of goods through those locks like these across the country every single year…. When they’re not working, it creates chokepoints. Barges break up, goods don’t get to where they need to go. Bob Casey’s been on my back about this for so long. As we get this Montgomery Lock project done, I think we should call it the Casey Lock.”
Biden referred to Sen. Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, who has long advocated for the funding.
“Pittsburgh’s three rivers [the Ohio, the Monongahela and the Allegheny] … those three rivers, those waterways drive this region’s economy while connecting our nation’s commerce,” Casey said.
Casey also spoke about how failure to invest in the infrastructure would place the waterways and their 76,500 jobs at risk.
“The good news is just a couple of days ago the Army Corps of Engineers, this administration, the Biden-Harris administration, announced $857.7 million to complete the construction of the Montgomery Lock and Dam. We are grateful for that,” he said.
Regional Reactions
The Pittsburgh region will benefit for many years from the infrastructure investments being made in the region via the IIJA, supporters said.
“This funding announcement is a big win for southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Mary Ann Bucci, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission. “The Port of Pittsburgh is a driver of jobs and economic prosperity in the region, and by completing the much-needed construction on the Montgomery Locks and Dam, we will be able to safely bring goods in and out of Pittsburgh.”
She noted that Montgomery Locks average about 300 commercial lockages every month, plus another 150 lockages of pleasure craft during the summer season.
Bucci said that Casey and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb brought U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Pittsburgh last spring, and that it provided an opportunity show Buttigieg the importance of the inland waterway system and the need for investment in aging lock and dam infrastructure.
“Not only are our waterways critical to the movement of freight in the region, but also the quality of life throughout southwestern Pennsylvania,” Bucci said.
Lamb was among the people who celebrated the announcement of the funding.
“River traffic is something few people think about unless it is shut down,” he said. “The Montgomery Lock and Dam is nearly 100 years old, and if it collapses, we could lose thousands of jobs and add thousands of trucks to our roads, meaning more pollution and traffic. This funding is essential and the result of years of advocacy and old-fashioned, hard legislative work.”
Matt Smith, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, focused on the announcement as a driver of economic development and said the agency will continue to advocate for funding for other aspects of the Upper Ohio project.
“This is fantastic news for the region and our inland waterways,” he said. “Southwestern Pennsylvania’s rivers provide the region’s businesses a competitive advantage and access to a global marketplace. We are grateful for our partnership with the Port of Pittsburgh Commission and key infrastructure stakeholders across the region in advocating for these necessary improvements critical to our region’s success. We look forward to continuing our efforts and realizing the reconstruction of the Upper Ohio Navigation System Project at the Montgomery, Emsworth and Dashields locks and dams.”
https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/2022/02/04/infrastructure-law-fully-funds-new-montgomery-lock/