WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following statement can be attributed to Kip Eideberg, senior vice president of government and industry relations, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers:

“We are encouraged by the compromise framework announced today by a bipartisan group of 10 Senators and the proposal unveiled by the Problem Solvers Caucus. Equipment manufacturers applaud the ongoing negotiations among Democrats and Republicans committed to breaking the current logjam and securing a bipartisan agreement on a comprehensive infrastructure package. We urge members from both parties in the House and the Senate to put policy ahead of politics and advance a bipartisan, fiscally responsible bill that addresses our country’s infrastructure needs, creates family-sustaining jobs, protects our planet, and grows our economy.

“The progress made in the past 48 hours provides a bipartisan foundation to finally modernize our nation’s infrastructure and deliver real benefits to every American. The debate over the pay-fors will decide whether a deal will get across the finish line. Equipment manufacturers have always maintained that new infrastructure spending should be fully paid for using a mix of user fees, public-private partnerships, and unused federal funds. We cannot afford to wait any longer to make the type of transformational investment in our nation’s infrastructure that will restore America’s competitiveness, enhance our industry’s ability to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, and improve the lives of all Americans.”

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AEM is the North American-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers, with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry supports 2.8 million jobs in the U.S. Equipment manufacturers also contribute $288 billion a year to the U.S. economy.