What Has André Carson Done On the 16th Street Bridge?

A Two-Year Closure. Over 1,000 Residents Petitioned. The Transportation Committee Member Said Nothing.

Tuesday, April 14

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Indianapolis, IN — This summer, the West 16th Street Bridge closes.

 

For two years—on an accelerated timeline—one of Indianapolis's critical connectors will be shut down entirely. The closure will disrupt commutes, reroute traffic through already congested neighborhoods, strain small businesses that depend on the corridor, and cut off access for residents who have no easy alternative.

 

Over 1,000 Indianapolis residents signed a petition asking the city to reconsider. They asked for a partial opening. They asked for their voices to be heard. They organized, they showed up, and they made their concerns known.

 

André Carson sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He’s held that seat for years. The explicit purpose of that assignment is to be a champion for Indianapolis's infrastructure needs—to use federal relationships, federal resources, and the platform of a congressional seat to fight for this city when it matters.

 

On the 16th Street bridge closure, no public statement from Congressman Carson was found. No press release. No social media post. No letter to city officials. No federal advocacy. Nothing.

 

Over 1,000 residents raised their hands and said this affects us. The congressman with a seat on the Transportation Committee represented them with silence.

 

This is not an isolated incident. It is a pattern. When Indianapolis roads crumble, Carson touts formula funding that flows automatically regardless of who holds the seat. When a critical bridge closes for two years and residents organize in opposition, the Transportation Committee member is nowhere to be found. When the federal formula systematically shortchanges a blue city in a red state, the congressman with the jurisdiction to fight for a fix stays on the sidelines.

 

A seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is a responsibility, but André Carson treats it simply as a credential. It means something only if you use it—to secure competitive grants, to fight for formula reform, to show up when your constituents are asking you to.

 

The residents who signed that petition deserved to hear from their congressman. They’re still waiting.

 

"Over a thousand Indianapolis residents organized and petitioned against a two-year bridge closure," Hornedo said. "The member of Congress who sits on the Transportation Committee said nothing. Not a statement. Not a letter. Nothing. He's not representing us. He's holding a title without a job description. Indianapolis deserves someone who understands the difference."

 

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This is part of the Hornedo campaign's daily accountability series, What Has André Carson Done?, running through May 1st. Learn more at georgehornedo.com.

 

Indianapolis deserves more than a vote in Washington. It deserves a congressman who uses the full platform of the office to fight for federal resources, to force the conversation at every level of government, and to show up for this community before the cameras arrive. That's the standard. That's what's been missing.

 

RECORD CHECK: The Center for Effective Lawmaking ranks Congressman Carson 197th out of 220 House Democrats in legislative effectiveness. Of his claimed 22 bills signed into law, 2 are standalone enacted bills—the Ariel Rios Federal Building naming and the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site Act. 

 

73% of Congressman Carson's campaign funding comes from PACs, much of it from corporate PACs including AES Indiana, BlackRock, and defense contractors. Only 7% comes from small-dollar donors.

 

When Julia Carson held this seat, Indianapolis was a competitive Democratic stronghold that helped power statewide wins. Under André Carson, the 7th Congressional District has become the worst in Indiana for voter turnout and Democrats haven't won statewide since 2012.