Brent+&+Sujay

Declining transportation infrastructure is undermining the __foundation__ of the U.S. economy
Donohue, 11 --- president and chief executive officer of the US Chamber of Commerce (9/8/2011, Thomas J., Christian Science Monitor, “The highway to jobs - via better infrastructure,” Factiva, JMP)

This negatively influences the __entire economy__ --- prevents a __resilient__ supply chain
Little, 11 --- Director, Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy (4/5/2011, Richard, “Infrastructure Investment and U.S. Competitiveness,” [] , JMP) ====Confidence is collapsing now and destroying investment --- a national infrastructure bank is best short term stimulus that doesn’t drive up the deficit ==== Skidelsky & Martin, 11 --- *Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick, AND **macroeconomist and bond investor (3/30/2011, Robert Skidelsky and Felix Martin, New York Review of Books, “For a National Investment Bank,” [] , JMP)

====The economy won’t recover quickly or sufficiently enough on its own --- A national bank will stimulate the economy and boost jobs without increasing deficit ====

Skidelsky & Martin, 11 --- *Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick, AND **macroeconomist and bond investor (3/30/2011, Robert Skidelsky and Felix Martin, New York Review of Books, “For a National Investment Bank,” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">, JMP)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The US is the underpinning of the global economy
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">RAHMAN ‘11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">- former Ambassador and Chairman of the Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies. (Ashfaqur . “Another global recession?”. August 21. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=199461) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 11pt;">Economic decline triggers worldwide conflict Royal, 10 <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 7pt;"> – Jedediah Royal, Director of Cooperative Threat Reduction at the U.S. Department of Defense, (Economic Integration, Economic Signaling and the Problem of Economic Crises, Economics of War and Peace: Economic, Legal and Political Perspectives, ed. Goldsmith and Brauer, p. 213-215

Slow growth risks retrenchment and hegemonic wars- faster growth is key to sustaining primacy

 * Khalilzad, ’11** – Bush’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the UN and former director policy planning at the DOD (Zalmay, “The Economy and National Security”, National Review, 2-8-11, [])

Growth eliminates the only rational incentives for war

 * Gartzke 11 ** – associate Professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego PhD from Iowa and B.A. from UCSF Erik, "SECURITY IN AN INSECURE WORLD" www.cato-unbound.org/2011/02/09/erik-gartzke/security-in-an-insecure-world/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The plan will revive confidence in demand and spur a self-sustaining private sector recovery
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Skidelsky & Martin, 11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">--- *Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick, AND **macroeconomist and bond investor (3/30/2011, Robert Skidelsky and Felix Martin, New York Review of Books, “For a National Investment Bank,” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">, JMP)

The steel industry is growing now, but remains __fragile__ – new transportation infrastructure projects are vital to maintain momentum
Brooks, 12 – Foundry Management & Technology Editor-in-chief at IndustryWeek (Robert Brooks, “Domestic Steelmakers are Strong, But Concerned”, IndustryWeek, 4/12/12, [] | AK)

Now is key – focusing on __new projects__ is key to the industry’s survival
King, 12 – political writer for the Wheeling News-Register and the Intelligencer (Joselyn King, “’Future Of Steel’ Topic In D.C”, Wheeling News-Register, 3/25/12, [] | AK)

The 2009 ARRA was __insufficient__ – establishing a national infrastructure bank is __crucial__
Robertson, 10 – Pittsburgh Bureau chief at American Metal Market (Scott Robertson, “Obama infrastructure plan a first step, but short of needs: steel”, American Metal Market, 9/10/10, General OneFile | AK)

The highway reauthorization bill wasn’t enough either – a __substantial__ new investment is vital
STI, 12 – is an English language journal. It contains a digest of global news, events, statistics, and stockholding news, as well as more detailed technical articles, company and country profiles, conference reports and regular regional economic briefings. The target readership are managers and CEOs in the steel industry, but it is also widely read by stockholders, members of research organizations, technical consultants and business consultants, citing Timothy J. Considine, Ph.D. and Professor of Economics at the University of Wyoming, John P. Surma, Chairman and CEO of the United States Steel Corp., and Thomas J. Gibson, President and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (Steel Times International, “American Iron and Steel Institute calls for further Government intervention”, STI, May/June 2012, [] | AK)

A national infrastructure bank is __critical__ – new infrastructure investments are vital to stimulate steel and manufacturing demand
Danjczek et al., 11 – President of the Steel Manufacturers Association (Thomas A. Danjczek, “2011 — 2012 PUBLIC POLICY STATEMENT STEEL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION”, Steel Manufacturers Assocation, 2011-2012, [] | AK)

A strong steel industry is the __vital__ internal link to military primacy
AISI, 7 – serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology (American Iron and Steel Institute, “STEEL AND THE NATIONAL DEFENSE”, AISI, January 2007, [] | AK)

And, an effective military is key to democratization, terrorism, rogue states, and rising powers.

 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Thayer 6 __****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">- Associate Professor of Defense and Strategic Study @ Missouri State University, Former Research Fellow @ International Security Program @ Harvard Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 6pt;">(Bradley, “In Defense of Primacy,” The National Interest, November/December)

Even anti-hegemonic authors agree that the US will never accept anything less than total domination

 * Mearsheimer 11** – John J. Mearsheimer, the “R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago” Jan/Feb 2011 “Imperial By Design” http://mearsheimer.uchicago.edu/pdfs/A0059.pdf

The NIB’s competitive, inter-modal, multijurisdictional approach is key—only federal action solves

 * Istrate and Puentes 9** (Istrate, Emilia, senior research analyst and associate fellow with the Metropolitan Infrastructure Initiative specializing in transportation financing, and Puentes, Robert, Senior Fellow and Director of the Metropolitan Infrastructure Initiative, December 2009, “Investing for Success Examining a Federal Capital Budget and a National Infrastructure Bank”, Brookings Institute)FS

A national bank devoted just to transportation will revitalize U.S. infrastructure --- it will be easy on the budget and politically palatable
Lovaa, 11 --- Federal Transportation Policy Director for NRDC (6/28/2011, Deron, “An Infrastructure Bank for Transportation,” [], JMP)

__National bank__ is key to send a __strong signal__ to private sector investors --- facilitates public-private partnerships
Puentes, 12 --- Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings (7/16/2012, Robert, “What Would an Infrastructure Bank Really Do?” [], JMP)

Federal action key to ensure cooperation and resources for __large-scale__ projects
McConaghy & Kessler, 11 --- * Director of the Third Way Economic Program, AND **Vice President for Policy at Third Way (January 2011, Ryan McConaghy and Jim Kessler, “A National Infrastructure Bank,” [], JMP)