10 THE U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT It’s no secret that the U.S. infrastructure is old. Rebuilding it will take money, but federal, state and local governments have not allocated enough money for several decades. Even though roads are vital, people take them for granted, paying for maintenance isn’t flashy, and other budget items seem more important. However, the situation has finally changed. The U.S. Senate passed the infrastructure bill in August, 69-30, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats and one Republican not voting. Then the bill had to go back to Congress as H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The House of Representatives passed it Nov. 5, 2021. President Biden signed IIJA into law Nov. 15, 2021, on the south lawn at the White House; about 800 people were there to watch. Those attending included Democrat and Republican lawmakers, governors and mayors from throughout the country, and also Utah’s Mitt Romney. Now that the bill has passed, the goal is to put money into America’s infrastructure so the U.S. can become globally more competitive. About $650 billion of the money being allocated is being directed away from existing projects and funds. What does the law contain, and what will happen next? The bill authorizes $1.2 trillion in spending, an amount that is $550 billion higher than baseline levels. Of that $550 billion, $283.8 billion will be for transportation. According to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTIyNDg2OA==