By T.J. HEENAN

History has shown that America works best when bipartisanship prevails, as our forefathers intended, working together in the spirit of democracy and compromise.

A classic example of bipartisanship is President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill which passed in 2021.

As of March, $15.8 billion from this bill was headed to Pennsylvania with over 455 specific projects identified for funding. These projects include investment in roads and bridges, with 3,112 bridges and over 7,700 miles of roadway rated in poor condition.

Other projects include funding for public transportation, high speed internet, rail modernization, clean and safe water projects, just to name a few. This is money well spent to update and improve the lives of all of us living in the Commonwealth.

This bill should create thousands of family-sustaining jobs, paying union wages. This bill further specifies that all materials used in these projects be American made.

This bill, in conjunction with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s “Statewide Economic Development Strategy,” the first in Pennsylvania in nearly two decades, focuses on five key sectors: agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and robotic technologies. This program will allow Pennsylvania to compete in these fields with anyone.

Unfortunately, for those of us who live in these most economically depressed counties in Pennsylvania, the congressmen who represents us voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who represents parts of Bucks and Montgomery counties, and co-chairs the “Problem Solvers Caucus,” was the only Republican congressman from Pennsylvania to vote and support this bill. He contends that his Republican colleagues would have supported a similar bill if it had been introduced by Donald Trump.

If this is the case, it concerns me deeply and it should concern all of their constituents, that they place their allegiance to Trump ahead of the economic well being of those that they were elected to represent.

T.J. Heenan is an American veteran and Tidioute resident.