Senate Advances Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, But House Lawmakers Need To Hear From Industrial Metals Community

In the late evening of Sunday, August 8, the U.S. Senate voted 68 to 29 to end debate on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. This vote should allow the chamber to vote on final passage of this legislation sometime this week—perhaps as early as Tuesday morning, August 10. According to most news reports, at least two-thirds of Senate lawmakers will support final passage of the bill, which will then move on to the U.S. House of Representatives for Debate.

As the National Association of Manufacturers has pointed out, the INVEST in America Act  contains provisions in five broad areas that are critical to manufacturers. These are:

• Increased infrastructure investment in physical infrastructure projects like upgrading roads, rail, ports and building broadband;
• New efforts to streamline process for preparing for National Environmental Policy Act documents, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements for infrastructure projects;
• Actions to tackle climate change, including grid modernization, carbon capture and clean hydrogen investment;
• Efforts to create cleaner communities through investments in drinking water and efficient manufacturing; and
• Retention of competitive tax gains that have helped manufacturers create jobs and invest in their businesses across the country.

Regarding the first and fourth priorities, as Connecting the Dots reported last week, the legislation includes:

• $110 billon for roads and bridges;
• $66 billion for passenger and freight rail improvements;
• $65 billion for broadband expansion;
• $55 billion for water system rehabilitation;
• $39 billion for transit and intercity rail updates;
• $25 billion for airport upgrades and congestion relief;
• $17 billion for American ports;
• $7.5 billion for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations; and
• $7.5 billion for new EV bus and ferry procurement.

The bill also would:

• Direct the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a driver pilot program to allow younger drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles. The pilot program is limited to 3,000 apprentices at any one time and will conclude in the years. This program will hopefully allow the DOT to gather enough data on the safety records of younger drivers to compel Congress to change age standards for commercial drivers. This policy is one MSCI has long-supported.
• Require the federal government to study how many job losses would be caused by the Biden administration’s decision to revoke the permit to finish the Keystone XL pipeline.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation would add $256 billion to the federal budget deficit over the next decade. The U.S. House of Representatives will consider the legislation when it returns from its summer recess in mid-September.

The bill faces a tough road to passage in the House. The difference between success and failure could be just four votes. It is important to build support from every lawmaker. MSCI encourages its member company leaders and employees to reach out to their member of Congress to ask them to vote for this legislation. Let them know there is an urgent need for action to provide long-term economic growth and improved quality of life and that inaction on infrastructure will lead to decreased economic productivity and a decreased quality of life. This is a core responsibility of government to deliver policies that allow the private sector to bring innovation and technology to modernize our nation’s infrastructure.

This bill would allow for that.

Contact information for U.S. senators here. Contact information for U.S. House lawmakers is here.

Here is data from the American Society of Civil Engineers that illustrates how dire the nation’s infrastructure needs are:

• Inefficient, unreliable infrastructure is a drag on the U.S. economy. We will lose jobs if we don’t invest and it is projected that almost half those jobs will be in high-wage industries like manufacturing and healthcare.
• If lawmakers don’t act now to invest in infrastructure, the U.S. is projected to lose nearly $2.4 trillion in exports from 2020 to 2039.
• Failure to invest infrastructure now will cost the average American family more than $3,000 annually over the next 20 years.
• The average American household loses $63 a week due to chronic underinvestment in infrastructure.

Find more information from ASCE here. ASCE also has a portal that will let you send customized letters to federal lawmakers. Find that portal here.