The Powers Unite: Infrastructure Investment is Coming
May 02, 2019
As bumpy as our streets may seem these days, our federal leaders seemed to have smoothed things out on the topic of infrastructure this past week. On April 30th, President Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met to discuss a $2 trillion comprehensive bipartisan infrastructure package for the......
Civil Engineers React to President Trump’s Infrastructure Plan
February 11, 2018
The following is a statement by ASCE President Kristina Swallow, PE, regarding the Trump Administration’s proposed infrastructure plan for our roads, bridges, water systems and other infrastructure assets. “The American Society of Civil Engineers has been warning of the safety and economic implications of our deteriorating infrastructure for the past 20 years. The Infrastructure Report......
President’s State of Union Lays Out Infrastructure Vision
January 31, 2018
President Trump unveiled his much-anticipated infrastructure plan for the nation in his first State of the Union address last night, asking Congress to produce a bipartisan package that generates at least $1.5 trillion in investment. He put an emphasis on need for federal dollars to be leveraged by state and local government funding, as well......
Federal Investment in Infrastructure: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship
January 12, 2018
America’s infrastructure network is the backbone of our economy. Every day, our roads, bridges, rails, inland waterways, transit systems and more move millions of people and goods from origin to destination. Infrastructure enables us to get to work, school, and leisure activities, and facilitates trade. The role infrastructure plays in supporting the economy and preserving......
Must Haves for a Federal Infrastructure Bill
January 10, 2018
The anticipation for the Administration’s Infrastructure Proposal is mounting, as reports indicate Republicans discussed it at a retreat at Camp David and the White House hosted a bipartisan meeting to share more about what they will release. To address our nation’s infrastructure needs, we need an additional $2 trillion worth of investment across all levels......
White House Sends Congress Budget Request for the Rest of FY17
March 30, 2017
Following on the heels of the FY18 “skinny budget” it released two weeks ago, last Friday the White House sent the House and Senate appropriations committees its budget request for the remaining five months of FY17. As detailed in a previous post, the Trump Administration’s FY18 budget request would dramatically increase defense spending and make......
How the White House Budget Would Affect Infrastructure and Engineering
March 23, 2017
The White House released its budget blueprint for FY 2018 last week, signaling its priorities to Congress as it ramps up the annual appropriations process. The White House’s budget would increase defense spending by $54 billion and offset that increase with broad cuts elsewhere in discretionary spending. It will be up to House and Senate......
President Trump’s Proposed Budget’s Impact on Infrastructure
March 16, 2017
On Thursday, March 16, President Trump released his first proposed budget as president. Often referred to as the “skinny” budget because it is released soon after a President assumes office, the budget proposal included many cuts to infrastructure programs that in the past have been successful. The following statement is from Norma Jean Mattei, President,......
White House Summit on Resilience
May 12, 2016
An important aspect of rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure is resiliency. While Congress has been hit or miss on infrastructure issues this Congress, yes on Surface Transportation, not so much on resilience and building sciences, the White House has recently begun to place more emphasis on resiliency. Highlights of the White House emphasis include a February......
Dagher to be recognized by White House for Composite Arch Bridges
October 09, 2015
Could it be possible to construct a bridge in two weeks that lasts up to 100 years, has similar costs as a regular steel and concrete bridge, and requires minimal maintenance? It may seem farfetched, but ASCE member and Founding Director of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center Dr. Habib Dagher, invented......