Urge Congress to create a National Infrastructure Bank.

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
S. R. No. 261

2025-2026

Senators
Ingram, Blessing

Cosponsors:
Senators Hicks-Hudson, Smith

A
R E S O L U T I O N

To
urge the United States Congress to create a National Infrastructure
Bank to finance urgently needed infrastructure projects.

BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

WHEREAS,
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) stated in its 2021
report card that the United States received a grade of C- regarding
the current state of infrastructure and that more than six trillion
dollars would be needed to restore the nation's infrastructure to a
state of good repair. Over two and a half trillion dollars is
currently not funded, the remainder is inadequately funded, and all
new, twenty-first century projects remain unfunded; and

WHEREAS,
The ASCE 2021 report card also gave the state of Ohio a grade of C-.
The state will need to invest at least twelve billion dollars to
upgrade the drinking water systems and fourteen billion dollars to
upgrade waste water systems. More than six per cent of the state's
bridges are rated structurally deficient, driving on roads in poor
repair costs each driver more than five hundred dollars per year, and
traffic congestion costs Ohio motorists an estimated four and a half
billion dollars each year in lost time and wasted fuel. Rail
transportation requires new passenger lines and high speed rail
service connecting a Great Lakes system; and

WHEREAS,
A National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) would be modeled on previous
banks that helped build much of our nation's infrastructure,
including infrastructure in Ohio. Presidents George Washington, James
Madison, John Quincy Adams, and Abraham Lincoln created similar
institutions during their administrations that helped finance the
roads, dams, bridges, canals, power systems, and railroads that made
our nation the envy of the world. The final such institution, under
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped bring us out of the Great
Depression and win World War II; and

WHEREAS,
Congress introduced H.R. 5356 in the 119th Congress to create a five
trillion dollar National Infrastructure Bank; and

WHEREAS,
A NIB would operate as its predecessors did and be capitalized by
existing United States Treasury debt, requiring no new federal
spending and no new federal taxes; and

WHEREAS,
A NIB would create tens of millions of new jobs, pay prevailing
wages, and mandate Buy America policies. A NIB would supercharge the
United States economy, reopen American production, and grow industry
in Ohio. It would ensure robust minority hiring, promote
disadvantaged business enterprises, and spawn a resurgence of small
business. It would lead to a total factor productivity increase of
more than three per cent per year, and a gross domestic product
increase of more than five per cent per year; and

WHEREAS,
A bi-partisan resolution was introduced into the Ohio House of
Representatives in the 135th General Assembly. Twenty-seven
additional state legislatures have introduced resolutions to
Congress, and eight have passed at least one house; and

WHEREAS,
A NIB is widely supported across the state and the nation.
Endorsements include Akron City Council, Toledo City Council,
Cleveland City Council, Lucas County Board of Commissioners, Toledo
Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, IBEW Local 245, UA Local 50
Plumbers and Steamfitters, Western Reserve Building and Construction
Trades, Bricklayers Local 7, All Aboard Ohio, among others. National
endorsements include National Black Caucus of State Legislators,
National Asian-Pacific Caucus of State Legislatures, Council of State
Governments-East, National Association of Counties, National
Association of Development Organizers, National Association of
Minority Contractors, National Latino Farmers and Ranchers, and many
more; now therefore be it

RESOLVED,
That we, the members of the Senate of the 136th General Assembly of
the State of Ohio, call upon the United States Congress to pass a
bill similar to H.R. 5356 of the 119th Congress to create a National
Infrastructure Bank; and be it further

RESOLVED,
That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly authenticated copies of
this resolution to each member of the Ohio congressional delegation,
the governor of Ohio, the president of the United States, and the
news media of Ohio.