President Obama on Thursday called for increased infrastructure spending in the wake of a deadly Amtrak derailment this week in Philadelphia.
{mosads}“We are a growing country with a growing economy. We need to invest in the infrastructure that keeps us that way,” Obama said during a press conference at Camp David following a summit with Gulf state leaders. “That’s what great nations do.”
The president noted that the cause of the derailment has yet to be officially determined, but said infrastructure spending should not be debated “just when something bad happens.”
Obama said his prayers are with the families of the eight people on board the train who were killed. He said the derailment was “all the more tragic” because many of the riders were regular rail commuters on a routine trip.