This week, the Senate Democratic Caucus unveiled their own new jobs and infrastructure plan in response to President Trump’s Infrastructure Principles released in early February. Under the Senate Democrats jobs and infrastructure plan, there would be a $1 trillion federal investment to modernize our deteriorating infrastructure. ASCE President Kristina Swallow released a statement, highlighting that the Society is pleased that the plan includes strong federal investment, and offers a solution to the Highway Trust Fund’s solvency for the next 10 years. Further, she urged Congress to act, saying “With both parties’ leadership now putting forth infrastructure plans, it’s time to turn this conversation into legislative action. Each day that Congress delays passing an infrastructure bill with strong federal investment including a long-term fix to the Highway Trust Fund, every American family loses $9 because of the inconveniences that come from our outdated infrastructure.”
This $1 trillion investment would be paid for by revisiting the recently passed tax legislation.
Transportation infrastructure investment under this proposal would include: $140 billion to ensure Highway Trust Fund solvency over the next decade; plus an additional $140 billion to repair our nation’s roads and bridges; $10 billion for TIGER program expansion; $115 billion to repair and improve public transportation; $50 billion to modernize and improve our rail infrastructure; $40 billion for a new Vital Infrastructure Program (VIP) to support new transportation infrastructure megaprojects which greatly improve transportation networks; $30 billion to promote innovative transportation; $40 billion to improve our airports; $25 billion for resilient community development; and $ 20 billion in innovative financing tools.
Water resources infrastructure investment would include: $115 billion to modernize the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure systems, of which $92 billion will be split among the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, while the remaining $23 billion will go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development and Water and Waste Water Grant Program; $30 billion for our ports and inland waterways, of which $25 billion will go to address the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers backlog of projects; $15 billion to address the deferred maintenance backlog on our federal public parks and lands, of which $5 billion will go to address the National Park Service’s deferred maintenance backlog, while another $4 billion will fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and $80 billion to bring innovation to our nation’s energy grid and to promote clean energy, including the consolidation of all existing renewable energy tax credits into three new tax incentive programs.