Federal Funding Long Overdue for American Infrastructure
In 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the US a D+ score for its infrastructure. Gone are the days of generous federal investment in public works projects, and in American public transportation systems, roads, bridges and railways, it shows. As American politics grows more partisan, legislative stagnation along party lines creates an impasse that blocks funding for infrastructure. Today, the U.S. has the highest GDP in the world but ranks just 13th in infrastructure quality.
The long delay in upkeep for infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and dams actually costs more than maintenance itself — as these structures weaken over time, the cost of repair increases. In many parts of the country, the existing infrastructure has been in place since the New Deal in the ’30s, and the US loses hundreds of billions of dollars each year as a result of antiquated or faulty infrastructure alone.
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Cost aside, poorly maintained infrastructure is a safety hazard for humans. Dam breaches, bridge collapse and the like pose risks to Americans’ safety the longer these structures are neglected, and old water pipes are a looming public health threat. Flint, Michigan’s years-long water crisis resulted in part from outdated water infrastructure and caused the exposure of nearly 100,000 residents to dangerous levels of lead. Climate change also necessitates new projects, like stormwater infrastructure.
As temperatures warm and the risk of catastrophic flooding rises, cities will need to manage stormwater runoff to protect against floods. Unfortunately for Americans, extreme partisanship among lawmakers means that often, disaster must strike before changes can happen — infrastructure breakdown incidents like Texas’ power grid failure seem doomed to recur in other states unless preemptive measures are taken to prevent them.
Last week president Biden unveiled a new infrastructure plan, which includes over 2 trillion dollars of corporate tax-generated funding for the repair of existing infrastructure and expansion into new, more climate-friendly projects. Aside from renovating existing infrastructure, the proposed plan aims to revamp electrical grids and improve broadband speeds, including in rural areas.
The plan would also create millions of jobs for Americans, aiding in economic recovery from the covid-19 pandemic. Before the bill can actually make the much-needed upgrades to infrastructure, however, it must get past obstructionists in congress. Republican leaders are already balking at the bill because of its proposed tax hike on businesses.
Despite Republican opposition and the likely renegotiation it will have to endure, the bill appears likely to pass in some form. Though it faces criticism by progressives for not taking bold enough measures on climate change and from conservatives who oppose funding through taxes, the bill is overall a desperately needed and much overdue aid package for American infrastructure.
