Noting that there are now over 1.7 million unemployed construction workers in the U.S., association officials urged Congress and the Administration to act quickly to pass several long-stalled infrastructure bills.

They said that further delays would not only hurt construction employment, but would lead to increased costs for taxpayers.

“You can pay relatively little to maintain aging roads, water systems and locks now, or you can pay a lot to repair them later,” AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said in a written statement. “The best way to boost the economy and save taxpayers money is to act now to address our growing infrastructure debt.”