America’s COMEBACK Playbook:

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in our transportation, water, energy and communications infrastructure, which is key to fueling long-term economic prosperity and ensuring the United States remains competitive. 

Business Roundtable endorses this bipartisan infrastructure legislation and is putting the full weight of our advocacy behind getting this to President Biden’s desk as soon as possible. Thanks to your engagement and company efforts so far, we are asking for your continued help to seize on last month's momentum and ensure immediate House action. 

We Urge Business Roundtable CEOs to:

✓ Make the case directly to target members of Congress to support the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and expeditiously push for final passage.

✓ Demonstrate how the overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate should continue, bringing House members on both sides of the aisle to pass this bill without delay.

✓ Highlight the urgent need for significant infrastructure investments that will create jobs and grow the economy. 

Navigating this Playbook

This Playbook provides a detailed checklist of action items that we ask you to take immediately to sustain momentum for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Business Roundtable is prepared to help execute on any of these.

The action items that we’ve identified below will continue to evolve as the legislative process plays out over the coming weeks. Please continue to utilize this Playbook as a resource to guide your advocacy efforts.

1. Engage Members of Congress

a. Identify Three to Five Members of Congress to Engage from the BRT Target List

Please select three to five Members of Congress to personally engage, from the list on this page.

b. Share your Targets with BRT

Business Roundtable will maintain a record of which Members our CEOs have contacted to ensure a comprehensive approach to our outreach efforts and coordinate any follow up. Please share your targets with Nicole Vasilaros at nvasilaros@brt.org.

c. Conduct Direct Outreach to Target Members of Congress

• Hold an Event
• Conduct a Meeting
• Place a Phone Call
• Send an Email

2. Promote Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the Media

We encourage you to make the case for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in print, radio and television interviews both at the national and local levels. Following is a media list to serve as a starting point for focusing your outreach efforts.

a. Work with BRT to draft and publish an op-ed in your name

The most helpful and effective op-eds for our advocacy purposes will run in states and districts across the country where our target policymakers are located.

Personalize

The op-ed should be interspersed with details on how investments in America’s infrastructure can positively impact your company and its employees.

Localize

The op-ed should include details on how bipartisan infrastructure legislation will directly benefit economic growth throughout the country and in your target Members’ states or districts.

Co-Author

Partner with a local leader or site manager to cosign the op-ed. This will anchor the piece within the community and strengthen its message.

b. Lend your voice to media appearances

For assistance conducting interviews and/or with TV and radio booking, please contact Jennifer Cummings at jcummings@brt.org.

TV

• ABC “Good Morning America”
• Bloomberg “Balance of Power”
• CBS “CBS This Morning”
• CNBC “Squawk Box,” “Squawk on the Street,” “The Exchange”
• CNN “New Day,” “Newsroom,” “The Lead with Jake Tapper”
• FOX Business “Mornings with Maria”
• FOX News “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “Your World with Neil Cavuto”
• MSNBC “Morning Joe,” “Stephanie Ruhle Reports,” “MTP Daily”
• NBC “The Today Show”
• Yahoo Finance “Market Open,” “Midday”

Radio & Podcasts

• American Public Media “Marketplace,” “Marketplace Tech”
• Axios “Re:Cap”
• NPR “All Things Considered,” “Planet Money”
• Vox “Today, Explained”
• The Wall Street Journal “The Journal.”

c. Incorporate messaging into scheduled media interviews

We also encourage CEO engagement with local print and broadcast media to underscore how investing in our nation’s infrastructure will benefit communities where your company is headquartered or has operations. In addition to major daily newspapers and local broadcast affiliates of the major national networks, we encourage outreach to state and local business journals that report on your company or industry.

In addition to talking points, Business Roundtable has developed state-specific one-pagers with data on how each state stands to benefit from bipartisan infrastructure legislation based on a study BRT conducted earlier this year. 

3. Issue Supportive Statements and Amplify on Social Media

It’s critically important the business community shows members of Congress the economic benefits of major infrastructure investment and the need for swift action on final passage. Business Roundtable issued this statement upon House infrastructure commitment: Business Roundtable Welcomes House’s Commitment on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Business Roundtable issued this statement on Senate passage: Business Roundtable Applauds Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

We encourage your company to issue supportive statements on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Engagement on digital media platforms is an important way to amplify the importance of legislative action. Your company’s platforms can be used to educate employees, local constituents, political influencers and lawmakers about the benefits of bipartisan infrastructure investment. Business Roundtable encourages you to publish social media posts on the importance of infrastructure to the economy, job creation, your company and your industry sector.

Business Roundtable has curated a set of tweets and graphics to accompany your posts available here. We encourage you to personalize these posts and follow @BizRoundtable for additional content to share.

4. Involve Employees, Local Company Leaders and Suppliers

Members of Congress react well to communications from constituents. During this infrastructure debate, we asked you to educate employees and suppliers on the urgent need for investment and the benefit to communities across America. Now is the time to activate your company’s network. 

It’s easy to activate your network by urging them to text "COMEBACK" to 52886 or sharing this link directly, perhaps in a company newsletter or intranet site: https://brt.p2a.co/tlzehi2

This feature will generate a letter directly to members of Congress, encouraging bipartisan support and timely passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

• Generate interest in infrastructure through activities that will earn media attention and/or influence key members of Congress. Activities could include:
• Op-Eds and letters to the editor by suppliers and company leaders.
• Invite local press to tour a facility and meet with workers whose jobs are benefited by infrastructure investment. 
• Meet with your member of Congress and appropriate staff members in district.