U.S. President Barack Obama spoke on Wednesday urging the U.S. Congress to approve a transportation bill that will hasten infrastructure project approvals across the nation. 

Obama appeared in front of an aging Tappan Zee bridge 20 miles north of New York City. In his speech, he said that his administration plans to accelerate the approvals for needed infrastructure projects. The president has pledged to cut the red tape because infrastructure projects pass through long-winded committee reviews. 

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Currently, the U.S. Congress is debating how it can replenish the federal government's fund for construction projects. The president said that failure to pass the transportation bill would delay the much needed public roads and infrastructures. If this happens, the president said it's likely that almost 700,000 jobs will be lost during summer construction season. 

This year alone, an estimated 112,000 highway projects and another 5,600 transit projects the transportation bill expects to pay when passed into law. 

Also during Obama's speech, he criticized members of Congress for not deciding in haste and said that if the legislators don't act fast, federal funding for transportation projects will run dry. 

Obama singled-out Republicans who prefer to pursue tax cuts rather than infrastructure spending. He told those present at Tappan Zee to talk directly to legislators who oppose the bill. The president said these legislators are usually present during ribbon cutting ceremonies for public projects they opposed in the first place. 

To address the looming construction federal funding dilemma, Obama offered a US$302-billion transport spending plan that would run for four years. His administration expects to get the funds for the plan by ending some business tax breaks and increasing the government's revenue base. 

However, Obama also said that he's open to suggestions and would welcome alternative proposals to pre-empt a possible funding crisis. 

One of the alternatives to the president's four-year plan came from Sen. Barbara Boxer [D] from California. Sen. Boxer suggested a six-year transportation bill that will fund infrastructure and road projects at current cost. 

Her proposal would also include the inflation rate for these projects as they're done across a timeframe that would cover fuel and construction costs. Sen. Boxer's proposal will run through September 2020 if approved. 

At the end of the day, the taxation committees in the House and Senate have the final say on the matter. 

TagsU.S. President Barack Obama, Barack Obama, U.S. Congress, Transportation Bill, Road Construction, Republicans