Biden’s plan, if enacted by Congress, will make a $2 trillion accelerated investment that will be deployed over his first term. According to his campaign site, the far-reaching investments in infrastructure will seek to create “Millions of good, union jobs rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure—from roads and bridges to green spaces and water systems to electricity grids and universal broadband—to lay a new foundation for sustainable growth, compete in the global economy, withstand the impacts of climate change, and improve public health, including access to clean air and clean water.” As it relates to water (an often-forgotten aspect of infrastructure), Biden’s plans include a focus on investing in water infrastructure and addressing drinking water contaminants. He supports increased regulation by the EPA and states that could drive further expansion of water utility capital spending programs. Biden intends to double federal investment in clean drinking water and provide new funding for low-income areas that are struggling to replace distribution pipes and treatment facilities. These goals are consistent with the CWCC’s advocacy positions and could be very helpful to areas of NJ that meet this socio-economic priority.
The Pipeline
Talk or Action? The scope of the program and the ways in which it will be financed remains to be seen, but there is reason to be optimistic. A coalition lead by the US Chamber of Commerce and more than 140 national, state, and local groups—including construction organizations—has kicked off a drive for big, wide-ranging federal infrastructure legislation, with the ambitious aim of having a bill signed into law by July 4 by pushing Biden to make infrastructure a “First 100 Day” priority. Tom Donohue, the US Chamber’s chief executive officer, said in a statement that the “Build by the Fourth” coalition is urging Congress to “enact a fiscally and environmentally responsible infrastructure package as one of their first priorities.” Jason Grumet, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s president, said, “National infrastructure investment is the best idea that never happens.” He added, “Congress must seize this opportunity to jump start our economy, repair aging systems and advance the modern technologies needed to confront climate change.” Sean McGarvey, president of the North America’s Building Trades Unions—a coalition member—said the legislation should be “big, bold and bipartisan” and a “top priority” for the incoming administration and new Congress. Major national water advocates such as the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) are also pushing water infrastructure and resiliency investment as a top priority. They are saying, like we are, that modernizing the country’s aging water and wastewater infrastructure and adapting it to meet changing climate and water use patterns might be the most essential public works project for our nation. In a letter to President-elect Joe Biden, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) urged the incoming administration to prioritize COVID-19 relief for water utilities and investment for the overall water infrastructure sector. The letter calls on the president-elect and Congress to work together on the next COVID-19 relief package and urges that it prioritize the measures the CWCC has outlined.
58 Utility & Transportation Contractor | february| 2021
Meanwhile, as the COVID-19 pandemic persists in the United States, AWWA and other water sector groups including the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Rural Water Association, WateReuse Association, and NACWA are calling on Congress for increased funding as well. These groups report that utilities need funding to rebound from the pandemic, which would be used to invest in critical infrastructure and help low-income customers pay their bills. The Crystal Ball Says… John Porcari, a former US Deputy Secretary of Transportation in the Obama Administration who advised the Biden campaign, said during a recent transportation advocacy group event that he thinks there are “real prospects for a bipartisan, broad infrastructure package” in the early days of Biden’s administration. The window for a bipartisan infrastructure compromise “is probably pretty short,” said Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist with the bipartisan Grassroots Midwest consulting firm in Michigan. “The first six months of the Biden administration are the best chance to get any legislation of consequence done,” he said. “There’s an incentive for every incumbent facing a potentially competitive election in 2022 to have an accomplishment or two that they can run on back home.” Skepticism is fair and warranted. “McConnell wasn’t too excited about doing an infrastructure package with Trump, so I am not sure why he would be suddenly excited to work on an infrastructure package with Biden,” said John Feehery, a Republican strategist and partner of the Washington-based EFB Advocacy lobbying firm. “So, I am bit skeptical.” That said, with a one-year extension of highway funding to expire next year, union leaders and transportation advocates still see reason for hope. They’re looking to the prospect that McConnell and Biden—who served seven terms in the US Senate—could rediscover the bipartisan mojo that they used to seal deals during Obama administration. US Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who chairs the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, expressed optimism that Biden will push hard to keep his campaign commitment to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, even if McConnell is initially recalcitrant. “The President-elect has made it clear he is ready to work with Congress to deliver results for all Americans with bold investments in infrastructure that help everyone, from large metro areas dealing with unreliable transit and soon-to-be jam-packed highways, to rural communities that suffer from bridges in poor condition and deteriorating roads,” DeFazio said in a statement. If the past is any indicator, the first months of the Biden administration are the best chance to get any legislation of consequence done. On face value, there seems to be an incentive for every incumbent facing a competitive election in 2022 to have an accomplishment or two that they can run on back home, in which case we return your attention to our title: Why not water infrastructure?
