Infrastructure ranks as top issue for likely voters

A national survey shows 83 percent of Democrats and 84 percent of Republicans say the top priority for federal policy makers should be repairing roads, bridges and water systems using American workers and American goods and materials.

The need to fix the nation's crumbling infrastructure ranked as high as addressing climate change and providing Medicare for all among Democrats and as high as tightening border security and enforcing immigration among Republicans.

The poll of 1,200 likely 2020 voters was conducted for the Alliance for American Manufacturers, a non-profit, non-partisan partnership founded by American manufacturers and the United Steelworkers in 2007. The results were released April 10 along with plans to tell President Donald Trump and Congress to get to work so Americans can, too.

"There are only a handful of issues that could cause Republican and Democratic voters to stand up and cheer in unison. Rebuilding America with our own manufacturing, creating jobs and boosting our economy is one of them," Scott Paul, president of the Washington-based alliance, said in a conference call about the poll.

The poll was conducted March 20-28 by The Mellman Group and Public Opinion Strategies. The findings also indicate 84 percent of voters think outdated bridges and corroded water pipes are unsafe, while 74 percent say waiting to make the repairs increases the costs and safety risks.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said she will reintroduce legislation that requires that all construction materials used on public infrastructure products be made in America. Taxpayer money shouldn't be spent to support foreign workers or foreign components, she said, pointing to the public opinion research as a clear message.

"I'm hopeful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress will agree with the American people and join me in this effort to make sure our government is buying American products and supporting American workers," Baldwin said.

A 16-page summary of the findings shows some questions were asked in different ways. For example, part of the survey took into account policy trade offs and asked if taxpayer money should be spent on the lowest bidder regardless of where the products are procured, or if it should be spent on American products and workers.

When the question was phrased that way, 76 percent of voters said to buy American while 17 percent said go with the low bidder's products.

For another question, when the list of possible infrastructure materials included American plastic and lumber, support to buy American grew to 86 percent.

"We didn't talk only about iron and steel but extended the materials," Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies said on the call. "The support actually went up with 86 percent in favor and 68 percent strongly [in favor]."

McInturff said that finding struck him because it was consistent at 86 percent among each voting group of Republicans, Democrats and independents.

"There's something we don't see as pollsters very much in this day and age and that's commonality across political party," he added. "That's the rarest thing to be seen today in polling and across the country. This is an issue where you can see the connective tissue among Republicans, independents and Democrats."

When later asked by Plastics News if there also was any plan to address local laws that prohibit elected officials from considering use of plastic materials for some projects, Paul said that's another issue.

"We believe — as voters do — that our infrastructure should be constructed with materials that are produced in the United States by American workers," Paul said in an email. "There are other factors — such as the expertise of engineers — that determine which materials are best for a particular project. It is important to let the experts make those decisions and not legislate an outcome. Regardless, whichever material is determined to be most suitable for a project should be American-made."

Americans want the president and Congress to work on infrastructure more than any other top issue, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 2.8 percent. When independent voters are factored in, 81 percent of likely voters rank repairing infrastructure with U.S. workers and products as the most important issue.

Policies related to addressing climate change through clean energy ranked a distant second with support from 58 percent of likely voters. That's followed by health care coverage for everyone at 57 percent.

Other issues related to leveling the playing field with China, cutting taxes and regulations, and tightening border security got about 50 percent of support.

The issue with the least support: building a wall on the border of Mexico. Thirty-four percent of likely voters rank that as an important policy with only 18 percent feeling strongly about it.

"Even though issues like the border wall and health care may capture more media attention, voters rate infrastructure higher, in part because it attracts support from Democrats, Republicans and independents alike," Paul said. "We will be delivering this message to Capitol Hill and the White House. This poll will be the centerpiece of that effort."