The Infrastructure Bill: Law Or Bust?

On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, includes \$550 billion in new spending on the nation's physical infrastructure and represents the largest investment in roads, bridges, ports, water, and rail in years. The law also provides \$65 billion to expand broadband infrastructure and \$55 billion for clean water investments.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

The act was initially a $547–715 billion infrastructure package that included provisions related to federal highway aid, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation. After congressional negotiations, it was amended and renamed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to add funding for broadband access, clean water, and electric grid renewal, in addition to the transportation and road proposals of the original House bill. This amended version included approximately $1.2 trillion in spending, with $550 billion newly authorized spending on top of what Congress was planning to authorize regularly.

The IIJA is unique in its comprehensiveness. The bill contains policy reforms and funding for hundreds of programs, with investments in every sector of infrastructure, from transportation and water to energy, broadband, and the resilience and rehabilitation of the nation's natural resources.

The bill's breadth is considerable, with entirely new programs authorized to address essential gaps in the nation's current infrastructure funding, such as resilience. For example, the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) program will provide $7.3 billion in formula funding, in addition to $1.4 billion of competitive grant funding appropriated through the Highway Trust Fund.

The IIJA also invests an estimated $15 billion in electric vehicle chargers and electric buses and is the first-of-its-kind comprehensive investment in broadband deployment, equity, and affordability.

The law includes the largest federal investment in public transit in history, with spending figures of $105 billion in public transport. It also spends $110 billion on fixing roads and bridges and includes measures for climate change mitigation and improving access for cyclists and pedestrians.

By the law's third anniversary in November 2024, $568 billion (47% of the Act's funds) had been allocated to 68,000 projects, leaving 53% of IIJA funds unallocated but showing that the administration had been accelerating funding approvals.

Bipartisan support

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was passed by Congress in November 2021. The bill was introduced in the House as the INVEST in America Act and nicknamed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. It was passed with bipartisan support, with 13 Republicans joining Democrats in the House to support the legislation.

The bill was initially a $547–715 billion infrastructure package that included provisions related to federal highway aid, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation. After congressional negotiations, it was amended to include funding for broadband access, clean water, and electric grid renewal, in addition to the transportation and road proposals of the original House bill. This amended version included approximately $1.2 trillion in spending, with $550 billion in new spending on top of what Congress had been planning to authorize regularly.

The bipartisan support for the bill was evident in the votes cast for its passage. In the Senate, the bill was passed 69-30, with Republican senators joining the majority of Democrats in voting for the bill. Similarly, in the House, the bill was passed 228-206, with 13 Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the legislation.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal was a result of President Biden's promise to work across the aisle to rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure. The bill aims to rebuild America's roads, bridges, and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure high-speed internet access for all Americans, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have been left behind.

The bill's impact is far-reaching and addresses critical infrastructure needs across the country. It provides funding for various sectors, including transportation, water, energy, broadband, and environmental projects. It also includes provisions for addressing legacy pollution and reclaiming abandoned mines and oil and gas wells.

Overall, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represents a significant step forward in addressing the nation's infrastructure needs and has received support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Funding for roads, bridges, and rail

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $110 billion in additional funding to repair and rebuild roads and bridges, with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety. This funding will support major, transformational projects and address the poor condition of highways, roads, and bridges across the country. Specifically, the legislation will reauthorize surface transportation programs for five years, providing much-needed support for these critical transportation networks.

The law also includes the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities and improve safety for all users. This program is particularly important given the high number of traffic-related deaths in the country. Furthermore, the law provides funding for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (Fed-State), which will enhance rail service and improve accessibility and reliability for travellers and commuters.

In addition to the direct funding for roads, bridges, and rail, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also allocates funding for port and airport infrastructure improvements, which will have a positive impact on supply chains and freight transportation. This includes investments in port infrastructure and waterways, as well as airport maintenance and modernisation. Overall, the law provides over $550 billion in new federal investment in infrastructure over fiscal years 2022 through 2026, making it the largest long-term investment in infrastructure in the nation's history.

Broadband and digital equity

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes a $65 billion investment in broadband infrastructure. This investment will ensure that every American has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet. It will also help to lower prices for internet service and close the digital divide, making it more affordable. Tens of millions of Americans currently lack access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet services, and this problem is worse in minority, rural, and tribal communities.

The IIJA's broadband provisions will be implemented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which will establish six broadband programs. The largest of these is the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which provides $42.45 billion to be distributed among states, territories, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. This funding will support broadband infrastructure deployment and adoption, with eligible entities receiving initial funds for planning and capacity-building efforts, such as mapping and staffing state/territory broadband offices. After a preliminary planning phase, the remaining funding will be allocated based on the number of unserved and high-cost locations in each state.

The NTIA will also implement the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program with $1 billion in funding. This program will expand and extend middle-mile infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas to the internet backbone.

Additionally, the existing Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will receive an additional $2 billion. This program provides funding to tribal governments for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.

The Digital Equity Act Programs will receive $2.75 billion to promote digital inclusion and equity. These programs include the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, and the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. These programs will provide funding for digital literacy training, workforce development, device access programs, and other digital inclusion measures.

The IIJA's broadband provisions represent a significant step forward in achieving the goal of providing broadband access to all Americans. They acknowledge the challenges and critical importance of high-speed internet access for the country's economic future, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced millions to rely on online connections for work, school, and other aspects of their lives.

Clean water and environmental protection

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), is a piece of legislation that aims to address various issues related to US infrastructure. One of its key focuses is on clean water and environmental protection. Here are some details on how the bill addresses these issues:

Clean Water Initiatives

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal includes a $55 billion investment to expand access to clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools, and childcare centres across the country. This includes eliminating lead service pipes and addressing the presence of dangerous chemicals like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The funding will be distributed to rural towns, cities, Tribal Nations, and disadvantaged communities that need it most. Additionally, the bill provides over $2.4 billion through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) to support critical water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure upgrades, ensuring public health and protecting water bodies.

Environmental Protection Measures

The legislation also addresses environmental protection and climate change mitigation. It includes a $65 billion investment in clean energy transmission and the electric grid, facilitating the expansion of renewable energy sources. It establishes a Grid Deployment Authority and promotes smart grid technologies, as well as invests in research and development for advanced transmission and distribution technologies. The deal also makes the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, providing $66 billion to modernise and expand transit and rail networks. This includes replacing thousands of transit vehicles with clean, zero-emission vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Legacy Pollution Remediation

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal delivers the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution in American history, with a $21 billion allocation for cleaning up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaiming abandoned mines, and capping orphaned oil and gas wells. These projects will address environmental harms, create good-paying union jobs, and advance environmental justice, particularly in communities of colour, who are disproportionately affected by pollution.

Resilience Against Climate Change

The legislation includes an investment of over $50 billion to protect against the impacts of climate change, such as droughts, heatwaves, and floods. It also includes a major investment in the weatherization of American homes, making communities more resilient to extreme weather events and cyber-attacks.

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