In a speech yesterday to the AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Department Conference, President Obama made his most pointed remarks yet on the failure of the House to take up the Senate's bipartisan transportation bill.
Andrea Bernstein reports on Obama's speech, delivered in front of a union crowd to "thunderous" applause, which blamed the Republican-led House of Representatives for "refusing to pass a bipartisan bill that could guarantee work for millions of construction workers," argued Obama. He continued, "Congress needs to do the right thing. Pass this bill right away. It shouldn't be that hard. It shouldn't be that hard. Not everything should be subject to thinking about the next election instead of thinking about the next generation."
Amie Parnes, writing in The Hill, saw the speech as an escalation of the personally pointed war of words between Obama and Boehner that has brewed over the past week. "While the new Obama rhetoric is about construction, the speech highlights the White House strategy of railing against congressional Republicans to build a case for another four years in the White House for Obama.
Obama increasingly is seeking to portray Boehner, his conference and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney as out of touch with the nation. On Monday, he also sought to portray Boehner as out of touch with the needs of his own district."
"I went to the Speaker's hometown, stood under a bridge that was crumbling, everybody acknowledges it needs to be rebuilt," Obama said. "Maybe he doesn't drive anymore. Maybe he doesn't notice how messed up it was ... they still said no."
FULL STORY: Obama Hits Congress on Transpo Bill

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie