Survey Commissioned by BlueGreen Alliance Shows Voters in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin Support Investments in Rebuilding Economy that Bring Good-Paying Jobs Back to the United States

Ninety percent of voters across six key states and across the political spectrum prioritize repairing and modernizing America’s aging physical infrastructure and rebuilding and retooling American manufacturing to build more products and technology here in the United States, according to a new survey released today by the BlueGreen Alliance. The survey, conducted April 5-13 by Hart Research in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, showed strong support—across the political spectrum with Democratic, Republican, and independent voters—for investments like those proposed in President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan.

The voters also placed a high priority on strengthening America’s social infrastructure, public services, and human service workforce (84%). Increasing the production of clean energy and investing in innovative clean technologies was widely supported (72%).

“The results of this survey are very clear: no matter who they voted for, people want infrastructure and manufacturing to be the focus of our economic recovery, and they want to make these investments to build a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable economy,” said Jason Walsh, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance. “What’s more is that there is wide agreement that this recovery must bring good-paying jobs back to the United States, focus on communities that have been left behind, and include measures that ensure that the economy we rebuild today creates the good-paying jobs of the future across the country.”

The survey of 1,607 registered voters showed 67% of respondents said the federal government should take a much more or somewhat more active role in addressing our nation’s economic problems. The voters overwhelmingly supported requirements that ensure the creation of high-quality jobs and environmental protections when the federal government spends taxpayer dollars on projects to rebuild and retool American manufacturing and repair and modernize our infrastructure—and for investments in clean energy.

“Our workers are ready to repair and modernize our infrastructure systems across the board,” said Utility Workers Union of America President James Slevin. “Rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure—from our aging water systems to modernizing our electric grid for the 21st century—will not just create good jobs and reduce energy and water waste, but it will set our nation up for success for generations to come. Voters support this and Congress should act now on the American Jobs Plan to deliver for their constituents.”

“Voters strongly support investment in care jobs to transform the lives not just of individual workers but of whole communities,” said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry. “President Biden has recognized this need and proposed a $400 billion investment in care in the American Jobs Plan that would for the first time recognize the care work done by predominantly women of color and immigrant women as valuable and important. Now it’s time for Congress to make that investment a reality.”

Respondents also registered strong support for key measures to strengthen American manufacturing and rebuild and strengthen the nation’s infrastructure systems:

• 94% support improving and enforcing trade policies to stop the offshoring of good jobs and industries, and closing corporate tax loopholes that reward companies that outsource jobs;
• 93% support ensuring major public investments in infrastructure and clean energy technologies include requirements that the products, technologies, and materials used are made in America and the jobs provide good pay and benefits;
• 91% support making investments to modernize U.S. industries like steel, aluminum, and glass, in order to manufacture these products in a way that produces less pollution; and
• 84% support making investments to retool factories to produce the cutting-edge products of the future, like clean vehicles and clean energy technologies.

“The majority of Americans support common-sense initiatives like rebuilding our infrastructure, strengthening our supply chains, and modernizing our manufacturing sector because they understand that our success as a nation hinges on having good jobs today and in the future,” said United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway. “Now, we must carry this unity forward and make the robust investments that will keep our communities safe and allow us to remain globally competitive.”

“Voters in the Midwest support investing in clean energy to sustain and create millions of good-paying jobs across a wide range of professions here in the United States,” said League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski. “They support companies operating in an environmentally friendly way that reduces pollution. They want policies that will stop offshoring and support making products here in America. It’s time for the White House and Congress to deliver on what voters want and pass the full American Jobs Plan to address the inter-related challenges of climate change, economic inequality, and environmental injustice.”

To view the full findings, you can access the survey results here.