Untitled Document

Trump Continues Push for Congress to Pass
Major Infrastructure Investment Package

President Trump in his speech to a joint session of Congress repeated his goal of seeing Congress pass a $1 trillion infrastructure investment package, and compared his vision to that of President Eisenhower in creating the interstate highway network.

"To launch our national rebuilding, I will be asking Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure of the United States – financed through both public and private capital – creating millions of new jobs," the president said Feb. 28. "This effort will be guided by two core principles: Buy American and hire American."

Although he did not provide details of a plan his administration is still developing, transportation news agencies interpreted Trump's reference to "public" capital to suggest an awareness that the investment package would need to go beyond just the private financing his campaign advisers had talked about, to require more federal investment as well.

Trump led up to that statement by stressing issues he has mentioned in the past. "We've spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled," he said.

Although many policymakers have said the investment plan will include sectors beyond transportation, Trump made clear he wanted the package to improve travel systems. He said: "Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our very, very beautiful land."

He noted that "another Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, initiated the last truly great national infrastructure program – the building of the Interstate Highway System. The time has come for a new program of national rebuilding."

Bud Wright, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that represents state departments of transportation, told the AASHTO Journal: "We appreciate President Trump's continued emphasis on producing an infrastructure investment package. Our state members hope it will generate sufficient investments to really improve mobility throughout the nation."

However, Wright added that state DOTs and other transportation stakeholders "are looking for the details" of what the president will propose. "There's not a lot of meat on the bones yet," he said.

The White House held an investment-focused meeting March 2 with officials from at least 15 federal agencies, Bloomberg news reported, "as a first government-wide step toward crafting the president's $1 trillion infrastructure initiative, a senior White House official said."

The report said Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, would lead the meeting, which was to "focus on identifying new projects that would boost the economy," plus existing projects that could be expedited and target policies, rules or laws that could delay them.

Bloomberg reported that the group would also be "developing funding and financing options," and that the official said all funding options are on the table.

Cohn announced Feb. 27 that D.J. Gribbin will serve as special assistant to the president for infrastructure policy. The announcement said Gribbin previously worked for Macquarie Capital, where he led advisory teams structuring public-private partnerships for government clients. He has also worked for Koch Industries and HDR, and has been chief counsel for the Federal Highway Administration and the USDOT's general counsel.

AASHTO has said the investment package should include new federal funding as well as private financing incentives, funnel as much spending as possible through existing highway and transit formula programs that let state DOTs apply it to their priority needs, and should include dedicated revenues to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent over the long term.

At the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, CEO Pete Ruane said in a statement: "When it comes to infrastructure, strategic focus should be the key.

"The biggest return on investment would be found by modernizing America's economic expressway – the Interstate System and its connections to the nation's major ports, inland waterways, rail hubs, airports and pipelines. Right now it is woefully underperforming, costing every American citizen and business time and money."

Regina Hopper, President of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, said that group thanks the Trump administration "for recognizing the urgent need to rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure."

She added that "ITS America looks forward to working with the White House, Congress and others to find intelligent technological solutions to repair and rebuild our extensive transportation system."