Washington Report: Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

As the magazine goes to press, Washington enters yet another “Infrastructure Week.” Yes, another, but this time is different. The Senate and the White House negotiated the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, the Senate voted repeatedly to consider the legislation to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, and we now await their action of the legislative language. The House of Representatives passed the INVEST Act last month. The House bill is similar in size and scope to the Senate Bipartisan approach, but takes a different approach on a number of programs. The final vote in the House was partisan; no Republicans voted for the bill.

ACPA has advocated in support of robust infrastructure funding for years. I saw a tweet that I thought described the journey perfectly and it went something like this:

NEED NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO PROPOSAL NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO FRAMEWORK NO NO NO NO NO NO NO MAYBE NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES A DEAL

Washington has heard the cumulative impacts of delivering the consistent message to fix our infrastructure and has gathered the political will necessary to pass legislation. Sufficient political progress now supports proposals to make federal investments at levels not seen since the 1950s.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will provide $1.2 trillion over eight years. $550 billion of this total is for newly authorized funding, while the balance covers the reauthorization of existing programs. Here is the broad outline of funding levels to support these programs over the next eight years, in billions of dollars:

Roads, Bridges and Major Projects....................110

Safety....................................................................11

Public Transit.....................................................39.2

Passenger and Freight Rail..................................66

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure............................. 7.5

Electric (School) Buses and Ferries................... 7.5

Reconnecting Communities................................... 1

Airports................................................................. 25

Ports and Waterways.........................................17.3

Drinking Water/Wastewater/Lead......................... 55

High-Speed Internet (Broadband).........................65

Power Infrastructure..............................................73

Environmental Remediation................................. 21

Western Water Infrastructure..................................5

Resilience............................................................. 46

All of this funding will be matched by required local share funding to increase overall funding levels by at least another 20 percent. This legislation will create well-paying construction jobs, improve mobility, increase commerce, improve the country’s capacity to innovate and compete globally, and ultimately improve the national economy. This legislation should provide ample opportunity for the concrete pumping industry to contribute to these national goals in a meaningful way.

Concrete pumpers have delivered the consistent message that the industry needs reliable roads and bridges to get back and forth to job sites in a safe and timely manner. Long delays from congestion caused by damaged roads and bridges and road volume are costly, as are the repairs needed to the pump trucks from poor road surfaces. Concrete pumpers will benefit directly from the construction projects funded by this legislation for years to come.

This infrastructure bill will be coupled with another legislative package composed of the president’s Build Back Better programs that were not included in the infrastructure bill. Some refer to these programs as “human” or “soft” infrastructure. Programs include workforce development, education, home child and health caregiving, additional climate change programs and electrification, among many other programs. The $3.5 trillion package will be managed through the budget reconciliation process and is likely to pass with only Democratic votes.

At this time, the details for the path forward for the legislation to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework are not agreed to. However, sending robust Infrastructure legislation to the president for his signature as soon as politically viable is agreed to. And that is the difference.

Watch for the next Washington Report column or an ACPA member e-blast for an update!