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Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, spoke March 19 in front of the George Bush Boulevard Bridge in Delray Beach about the $19 billion that has been set aside for infrastructure repairs in Florida. She was flanked by dozens of local officials including (l-r) Palm Beach County Vice-Mayor Gregg Weiss; U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel; Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia and Palm Beach County Mayor Robert Weinroth. Representatives of the group spoke to the media and a few locals for about an hour at the base of the 1949 bridge, which has been locked in the up position since March 3 because of damage to a main shaft and gear section. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Related: Replacement part for George Bush Boulevard Bridge could take six weeks or more to make 

By Rich Pollack

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, one of the most recognizable women in the country, stood in front of the broken George Bush Boulevard Bridge in Delray Beach Saturday talking about the community, commerce and the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in November.

She also found a way to take a quick poke at the majority of Republican members of Congress who voted against the bill.

In South Florida for a series of fundraising events, Pelosi talked about the positive impact the legislation will have on Florida and Palm Beach County. She pointed out that the state will receive $19 billion as a result of the legislation, with $245 million going toward bridges over the next five years.

Some of that money could be used to repair the 73-year-old George Bush Boulevard Bridge, which has been stuck in the upright position since March 3 and could remain that way for repairs for another six weeks or longer.

Surrounded by members of the Palm Beach County congressional delegation, including Rep. Lois Frankel and recently elected Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick – as well as county and city elected officials – during a news conference, Pelosi talked about the importance of bridges as connectors in a community.

“When this connection comes down, it affects so many people,” she said. The disrepair of the Delray Beach bridge has an impact on local businesses, she said, as well as coastal residents and others who use it on a regular basis.

Pelosi said the wide-reaching benefits of the infrastructure bill will be felt by people throughout the nation, including here in Palm Beach County.

“This legislation is very important to sustainability of communities,” she said. “It’s about safety, it’s about commerce, it’s about health, saving of time and quality of life.”

While her comments were largely focused on infrastructure, politics came into play as Pelosi answered questions and referred to the all but 13 Republican members of Congress who voted against the legislation as those who “just say no and take the dough.”

The news conference on the east side of bridge was not without disruption as a handful of trucks with Trump flags and motorcycles played loud music and loudly revved engines from a short distance away. Pelosi took it in stride.

“It doesn’t bother me,” she said. “As a mother of five, I’ve always made my voice heard.”