WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) speaks during a news conference to discuss an upcoming House vote regarding statues on Capitol Hill on July 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. House Democrats have introduced a bill that would replace the bust of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the U.S. Capitol with one of former Justice Thurgood Marshall. Taney was the author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision that declared African Americans couldn’t be citizens. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
by: Chase Laudenslager
Posted: Apr 14, 2021/09:11 PM EDT/ Updated: Apr 14, 2021 / 09:16 PM EDT
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCBD) – U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) on Wednesday released data collected by the American Society of Civil Engineers highlighting infrastructure shortcomings in South Carolina.
Clyburn cited the following as some of the report’s key findings:
- 12% of households do not have access to broadband
- 3,780 miles of road and 745 bridges are in disrepair
- 19% of trains and other transit vehicles in the state are past their useful life
- 267,000 renters pay more than 30% of their income in rent due to shortages in affordable housing units
- South Carolina needs $6.1 billion in modernization costs to ensure safe drinking water
- 34% of families have few or no childcare options in their communities, preventing parents from joining the workforce
- 402,000 veterans in South Carolina rely on VA facilities, which have been chronically underfunded – leading to longer waits and lower quality care
- An average low-income family in South Carolina currently pays 10-12% of their income toward energy bills because their home has not been sufficiently weatherized
- South Carolina has experienced 37 extreme weather events in the past decade, which will only increase in frequency and severity due to the climate crisis.
To improve infrastructure throughout the state and country, Clyburn is advocating for the American Jobs Plan, which he says “will help all South Carolina communities meet their 21st Century challenges.”
Specifically, the plan “commits significant resources to lower energy costs and end digital deserts, consistent with [Clyburn’s] Affordable Internet for All Act.”
Click here for a full breakdown of how the plan would address South Carolina’s infrastructure needs.
