For Immediate Release: May 29, 2021

Contact: Mark Brueggenjohann  202-728-6014

 IBEW: Biden’s Budget Will Build America Back Better

IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s FY2022 budget request:

“President Biden’s proposed federal budget fulfills his promise to Build Back Better with significant investments to modernize the nation’s infrastructure that will lower emissions, increase reliability and support middle-class, union jobs.

This budget will aggressively tackle climate change by investing $36 billion into renewable energy technology and expanding clean energy tax credits.

The IBEW has always been clear that slashing carbon emissions while ensuring our nation’s energy security requires an all of the above strategy that taps into every energy supply, and this budget does just that. It invests hundreds of millions of dollars into nuclear power while supporting a wide array of clean energy resources and technologies, including hydrogen, electric vehicles, advanced energy storage, and transmission.

And by pairing clean-energy tax credits with strong labor standards and protections, this budget assures that clean-energy jobs will be good union ones.

I’m especially pleased that the president is making sure that the clean-energy revolution does not leave any worker behind by doubling federal investment in coal communities, including support for carbon capture technology and direct assistance to dislocated coal workers.

This budget will mean hundreds of thousands of good energy and manufacturing jobs in nearly every corner of the nation, and I call on Congress to take action to make it happen.”

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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 775,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.