April 2014
| Business World Magazine | 119
Infrastructure: Manufacturers also need a
dynamic intermodal infrastructure system
to replace our current infrastructure, which
is badly outdated and critically needs repair.
We rely on efficient transportation systems
to move our products to and from market,
not just in the United States but also abroad.
Congress can begin to fix this by completing
legislation to modernize our ports and wa-
terways and by reauthorizing transportation
funding to strengthen the nation’s surface
transportation systems.
Energy: Manufacturers’ recent strength is
largely attributable to the boom in domestic
energy production. The shale revolution is
attracting investment to our shores and help-
ing to revitalize industries that we had all but
given up on in the United States.
Yet, obstacles that make it harder to tap
abundant North American energy continue
to spring up. A number of proposed regula-
tions would drive down demand for energy
resources, such as coal, and reduce the de-
velopment of coal and other sources. The
administration has repeatedly prolonged
the process to approve the Keystone XL
pipeline, despite overwhelming evidence of
the pipeline’s economic benefits. Not only
