One of the most effective ways out of an economic crisis is to invest in new infrastructure. Here in the 21st century, it needs to be sustainable infrastructure that creates green jobs and makes it easy for people to leave their cars and get where they need to go with convenience and affordability. That's where high speed rail comes in.

Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) recently proposed a bold plan to spend $205 billion over five years to roll out American High Speed Rail and fund over 30 high speed rail projects around the country, including the Pacific Northwest. That funding could leverage another $38 billion in support from state, local, and private funds. It's exactly the kind of visionary proposal our country needs as Americans look to get back to work. Moulton's proposal would create 1.16 million jobs annually in construction and operations, and an additional 4.87 million jobs in other industries supported by transit-oriented development.

High-speed rail is a bipartisan win for both Democrats seeking new infrastructure and Republicans seeking private sector investment. The American High Speed Rail proposal melds the economic recovery successes of Works Progress Administration, which employed more than 8.5 million out-of-work Americans who built 650,000 miles of highways and roads following the Great Depression, and President Eisenhower’s Federal Aid Highway Act, which led to the construction and funding of our Interstate Highway System.

Now it's time for us to show Congress we want to make fast trains happen.

Can you take two minutes and write a letter to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators urging them to support Rep. Moulton's high speed rail plan? If we can generate enough messages to Congress, we stand a better chance of this funding being included in a future stimulus bill. Thank you!