Where the U.S. Is Going in 2021 and Beyond Infrastructure Where the U.S
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InfrAstructure Where the U.S. is going in 2021 and beyond Infrastructure Where the U.S. is going in 2021 and beyond Table of Contents Biden Administration readies for infrastructure push . 3 Road to recovery and growth travels along Dave Boyer broadband infrastructure . 14 U.S. Representative Dave Joyce (OH-14) Real leadership builds America-first energy infrastructure . 4 Let’s aspire to create broadband partnerships Governor Kristi Noem (SD) benefiting education, health, and more . 15 U.S. Representative Mary Miller (IL-15) When states leverage private sector infrastructure partners, everyone wins . 5 Hollywood’s attack on the Dakota Access Pipeline Governor Larry Hogan (MD) is high-flying hypocrisy . 16 Craig Stevens, Grow America’s Infrastructure Now Infrastructure investment will get America moving again . 6 Greenlight policies that cut red tape stalling Bipartisan Policy Center infrastructure progress . 17 U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (IL-13) es We can come together for smart infrastructure . 8 TIM U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (OK) The future of U .S . aviation will be safer, n greener, more accessible, innovative . 18 GTO n Infrastructure investment should be a national U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-2) HI priority, not a talking point . 9 AS W U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (ND) Blueprint for communities in 2021: e Respond, recover, rebuild . 19 Domestic maritime safeguards the supply chain, Kathy Maness, National League of Cities T TO TH T TO en bolsters the economy . 10 M e Jennifer Carpenter, American Waterways Operators History proves and future calls for infrastructure PPL and mitigation projects . 20 su Pandemic hits public transportation systems . 12 U.S. Representative Randy Weber (TX-14) G n I U.S. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) s TI Biden’s climate policies raise alarm about er V Partisan budget process may roadblock environmental damage . .. 22 ad L infrastructure progress . 13 Valerie Richardson a CI U.S. Representative Sam Graves (MO-6) e P s a THE WASHINGTON TIMES THE WASHINGTON | Tony Hill Larry T. 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Biden Administration readies for infrastructure push a s P e BY DAVE BOYER one million new jobs in the U.S. auto executive order to block the Keystone Labor unions contributed at least $1.3 CI a THE Washington TIMES industry, including development of XL pipeline, which labor leaders say has million to Mr. Biden’s election campaign L ad half a million electric-vehicle charging cost thousands of jobs. The order said the last year, and he’s pledged to be their ally. V President Biden plans to spend at stations; offering incentives to expand U.S. must show leadership on the “global” Business leaders also have for in- er TI least $2 trillion on infrastructure over zero-emissions public transit; and using climate-change crisis by stopping proj- creased spending on infrastructure. The s I the next four years, a proposal that will federal aid to upgrade railroads. ects that would add to greenhouse-gas U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pushing a n G focus heavily on his goal of combating Money could be a hurdle. The infra- emissions. campaign to get Congress to approve a su climate change through stricter environ- structure plan will come on the heels of At a meeting with union leaders at the plan by July 4. A coalition of more than PPL mental regulations, higher fuel efficiency Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, White House last week, Mr. Biden said 300 businesses urged Congress in a let- e M standards and limiting the expansion of and mushrooming deficits due to the pan- the nation is “so far behind the curve” ter this month to make infrastructure a en fossil-fuel production. demic have prompted some lawmakers on rebuilding its roads and bridges. He top priority. T At his confirmation hearing last to call for Washington to put the brakes said the U.S. isn’t competitive enough Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES THE WASHINGTON month, Transportation Secretary Pete on spending. “in terms of infrastructure, everything and transportation subcommittee chair TH e Buttigieg told senators that the admin- on the Environment and Public Works W istration will use climate-change policy Committee, has proposed using the por- AS to spur economic development. The current federal surface transportation tions of the COVID relief bill funding HI n Mr. Buttigieg said efforts to limit legislation expires in September. Some lawmakers as a starting point for an infrastructure GTO greenhouse gases will feature promi- are looking at a renewal — typically a five- plan. The pandemic relief measure in- n nently in Mr. Biden’s plans to rebuild cludes aid for airlines, Amtrak, transit TIM roads and bridges, expand mass transit year plan — as a vehicle to push through the agencies and other infrastructure-related es and develop electric-car infrastructure. spending. administration’s overall infrastructure goals. | “We need to build our economy back, Also, the current federal surface trans- Wednesday better than ever, and the Department of Both the Obama and Trump adminis- from canals to highways to airports, to portation legislation expires in Septem- Transportation can play a central role in trations had grand plans for rebuilding everything we can do and we need to ber. Some lawmakers are looking at a this, by implementing President Biden’s infrastructure, but failed to overcome do to make ourselves competitive in the renewal — typically a five-year plan — as infrastructure vision -- creating millions partisan divisions in Congress and bud- 21st century.” a vehicle to push through the administra- • of good-paying jobs, revitalizing commu- get concerns. “It’s time to stop talking about in- tion’s overall infrastructure goals. February nities that have been left behind, enabling The energy crisis in Texas during a frastructure and finally start building “A surface transportation reauthori- American small businesses, workers, severe winter storm this month also is infrastructure,” Mr. Biden said. “Millions zation bill can reduce greenhouse gas families and farmers to compete and win renewing calls for the administration of good-paying jobs putting Americans to emissions, create jobs to strengthen our 24 in the global economy, and tackling the to upgrade the nation’s power grid, a work rebuilding our roads, our bridges, economy and move us to a cleaner, safer • climate crisis,” Mr. Buttigieg said. perennial concern. our ports to make them more climate future,” said Sen. Thomas Carper, Dela- 2021 The administration is expected to Republicans and some union leaders resilient, to make them faster, cheaper, ware Democrat. “I’m currently putting unveil the details of its plan next month, have questioned Mr. Biden’s commitment cleaner to transport American-made together a bipartisan bill that does just along with how to pay for it. to rebuilding infrastructure, citing his goods across our country and around the that, and I’m glad it’s at the top of the The president is promising to create early actions that included issuing an world, that’s how we compete.” administration’s agenda.” 3 Real leadership builds America-first energy infrastructure order cancelling the permit for the Dakota family – and every family across the country should expect to see their Keystone XL pipeline. He has since our country – spend less at the gas pump gas prices increase in the months and signed an executive order that bans new and save money when heating their years to come. The blackouts and power oil and gas development on federal homes. That’s particularly important failures we saw earlier this month are a land and in offshore waters. The sec- given this month’s power failures. representation of what energy reliability ond order also attempts to financially Once the project was completed, looks like in the coming years if we con- ransack the coal industry. Together, South Dakota communities would have tinue to abandon key energy infrastruc- these orders create a bottleneck on continued to benefit from property tax ture projects. America’s energy supply by preventing dollars to their local school districts. America needs diverse energy policy. future energy development. The Keystone XL’s infrastructure would We need an all-of-the-above approach to Of course, the Keystone XL pipeline have strengthened the local infrastruc- give us greater consistency and depend- cancellation strikes close to home for ture of these communities, in turn. ability. We do need alternative energy South Dakota in particular. TC Energy – Keystone XL was good policy on sources such as wind turbines and solar the company building the pipeline – had energy because it would have increased panels. I’ve supported wind energy for estimated that the project would bring American energy independence. Pipe- years, and South Dakota has benefited thousands of jobs to South Dakota over lines are also far safer for the environ- tremendously from wind production. the course of the coming years. Some ment than the trucks and trains that But incidents like this month’s By Governor Kristi Noem of those jobs were already in place, as we currently use to transport this oil.