As part of his “Commonsense Ideas for a Stronger America” tour, Sen. Joe Manchin announced Monday that he is co-sponsoring the Rebuild America Jobs Act to invest $60 billion in infrastructure and produce jobs.

This bill is expected to be introduced Oct. 31.

“We are letting our infrastructure fall apart around us. We need roads, bridges and air traffic to give us the opportunity to compete globally,” he said.

“Every job that is created by investing in our infrastructure will employ an American, and hopefully a West Virginian,” Manchin explained.

This is the same logic Franklin D. Roosevelt used to pull the United States out of the Great Depression and it is a common-sense solution, he asserted.

The bill would invest $50 billion in transportation infrastructure and provide $10 billion for an infrastructure bank, which would create a public-private partnership to fund important development projects.

According to Manchin, Moody’s estimates that for every $1 spent on infrastructure, Gross Domestic Product is raised by $1.59.

“We need to look at a way to run the government more efficiently and more effectively,” he said. “We need common-sense ideas for a stronger America, and creating jobs is the No. 1 thing. We need to keep the jobs we have and create new jobs.”

This bill would be paid for by a 0.7 percent surtax on millionaires — any income over $1 million.

Manchin wants to see meaningful bipartisan tax reform.

“We need to make people pay their fair share,” he stated. “We need to make corporate tax much fairer. There are people who have the means to pay taxes who are getting perks and privileges because they have the means and are within the letter of the law. We need to change the law.”

In addition to investing in infrastructure, Manchin highlighted supporting education and retraining, lowering the national debt, fighting drug abuse and achieving energy independence as common-sense ideas to help make a strong West Virginia and America.

Manchin expressed concern over growing national debt alongside his desire to create bill that will change the cycle of “robbing Peter to pay Paul to get through the day. That’s where we are finding ourselves right now in this county.”

“Indebtedness,” he added, “will make all of us make cowardly decisions.”

Manchin also added that building new jobs means making sure there is a workforce prepared and skilled to fill the market.

Manchin promoted reforms in benefits to ensure money is spent only where needed, instead of increasing national debt.

The senator criticized an Unemployment Compensation Extension without requiring unemployed workers have skill and job training.

“We also have a drug crisis through this entire country,” he continued. “We have to help people who want to help themselves, but we can’t support people who need assistance from taxpayers to keep their habits alive.”

He also noted that energy independence is necessary and “being dependent on foreign oil weakens our nation.”

Manchin will spend the week traveling across West Virginia to highlight his common-sense ideas and to discuss the “Rebuild America Jobs Act.”

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com