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President Donald Trump speaks during an event on American infrastructure at UPS Hapeville Airport Hub, Wednesday, July 15, 2020, in Atlanta.
Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci
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Trump Announces Plans to Fast-Track GA Transportation Needs, But Critics Blast It As ‘Distraction’
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An Atlanta-area UPS hub on Wednesday served as a backdrop for President Donald Trump to roll out his plans to get the nation’s economy moving again by focusing on the country's transportation needs.
"This is a truly historic breakthrough which means better roads, bridges, tunnels, and highways, for every UPS driver and every citizen across our land," he told the crowd of UPS workers and GOP leaders.
But critics claim shortcuts to regulations will harm communities that deserve a voice in the process.
"This is a blatant and transparent effort from the Trump administration to further silence communities that are not as well connected, not as wealthy, not as valuable to the White House as others," said Kym Hunter, a Southern Environmental Law Center senior attorney.
Trump's announcement highlights his recent executive order updating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to expedite infrastructure projects.
The president called it an "unprecedented" overhaul that would save "trillions of dollars over the years" and improve project delays.
Opponents argue the changes have "hobbled the nation's bedrock environmental protection" policy.
"The point of NEPA is to kick the tires, look before we leap, and know the effects of planning before we build," said Brian Gist, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
Georgia’s Department of Transportation plans to take advantage of the change right away to greenlight construction of lanes for trucks-only on I-75 south of Atlanta.
According to the DOT, the commercial vehicles lanes project would stretch northbound from "approximately the I-475/I-75 Interchange near Macon to the McDonough area.”
Trump also touted his administration's efforts to improve transportation on Georgia's coastline.
"For three straight years under my administration, we've delivered full funding for the Port of Savannah, and we're on track to complete the project in a very short period," he told the crowd.
While not a campaign rally, at times, his speech felt that way. He took several jabs at Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
"Biden wants to hold hostage billions in federal surface transportation grants for states and localities," he told the crowd.
The president praised Gov. Brian Kemp for his leadership and spent considerable time recognizing a host of Republican politicians running for office in communities throughout the state.
The GOP lawmakers greeting him at the airport included both U.S. senators from Georgia, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, as well as U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, who is vying to topple Loeffler for her Senate seat.
Trump did not wear a mask, but most others in the crowd did wear them. His only reference to the coronavirus pandemic came at the beginning of his remarks when he referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and said, "Together we will defeat this virus and come out stronger than ever before."
Democrats blasted the trip as a distraction from the seriousness of the pandemic. More than 127,000 people in Georgia have contracted COVID-19, including more than 3,000 who have died.
"He is on yet another political stop here in Georgia, where he knows that Republicans are in trouble," said state Sen. Nikema Williams, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. "He has done nothing to protect Georgians in this economy right now after COVID-19."
Stacey Abrams, Founder of Fair Fight, said Trump’s coronavirus response has "disproportionately hurt African Americans, as well as Latinos and Asian Americans in the United States, and particularly here in Georgia."
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