School of PE Blog

The winding legislative path of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, formally known as H.R. 3684, demonstrates the arduous process required to transform an ambitious policy proposal into bipartisan law. Introduced in the House on June 4, 2021, by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), the bill faced skepticism from Republicans and weeks of intense negotiations to scale back spending and refine priorities. After gaining House approval in a close vote on July 1, 2021, H.R. 3684 underwent further changes in the Senate before finally passing 69-30 on August 10. With the stalemate broken, the House adopted the Senate version on November 5, clearing the way for President Biden's signature on November 15. The turbulent timeline provides insight into how contentious and uncertain major legislation can be, even with broad consensus on the need for upgrades to America's infrastructure. What emerged after months of debate was an imperfect yet historic $1.2 trillion investment package few imagined possible, proving compromise remains achievable in a deeply divided Congress (Resource Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Implementation and Key Resources, 2022).

Much fanfare surrounded the Infrastructure Act's largesse for roads and bridges, but Division A reaches beyond conventional highway programs. Wildlife finds refuge in new crossing corridors as states gain resources to control invasive roadside vegetation. Electric vehicle charging stations blossom along designated alternative fuel corridors to aid the zero-emissions transition. Port facilities can tap new grants to cut diesel emissions from idling trucks. Amid the road and transit upgrades are welcome investments in safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Tribal communities gain more direct funding and involvement in planning. Even the highway workforce receives attention, with states encouraged to analyze personnel needs. States remain the key implementers, but enhanced planning and cooperation with federal agencies should deliver projects faster. Though still bound to the gas tax, highways emerge better equipped to meet new transportation challenges and serve all users more equitably (117th Congress, 2021).

Less glamorous models share the spotlight in the Infrastructure Act's Division B, which tackles freight, rail, road safety, research, and more. Multimodal freight policy gains new coordination and planning mandates to improve stressed supply chains. Railroad crossings and passenger routes come under scrutiny, with new reporting on blocked crossings and Amtrak food service. Trucking workforce programs, stronger recall enforcement, emergency braking requirements, and anti-trafficking efforts address glaring safety gaps. Research initiatives span smart transportation pilot projects, climate-friendly concrete, crash data barriers, and marijuana impairment questions. Though catering to niche interests, the division's programs promise broader ripple effects. Upgraded rail connections could entice travelers from congested air and highway routes. Smoother coordination of freight infrastructure across modes would enhance U.S. competitiveness. Fewer road deaths and injuries from long-overdue safety measures offer immense social and economic benefits (117th Congress, 2021).

Tucked away in the lesser-known Division C of the infrastructure law are consequential updates for the nation’s public transit systems, which ferry essential workers and connect vulnerable populations to jobs, services, and opportunities. With innovation and climate at the forefront, the division empowers metropolitan planners to consider new factors shaping communities, like housing affordability. Capital grants for long-planned projects can finally exit limbo, advancing new high-capacity transit options. Intercity rail and bus networks stand to gain from new funding for cleaner, modern fleets. Rural and tribal areas, where transit access remains scarce, will benefit from targeted investment. Even the data itself will improve, arming decision-makers with insights into unmet needs. While later provisions claim more headlines, the public transit updates in Division C deliver meaningful, if quieter, impacts. The investments foreshadow a lower-carbon future where access to affordable mobility is more equitable across geographies and incomes (117th Congress, 2021).

Bolstering America's energy infrastructure to meet 21st-century needs is a key focus of Division D. It promotes investments to modernize the power grid, enhance reliability and resilience, and secure critical energy networks against cyber threats. Support for new transmission lines and technologies like battery storage aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy. Creating domestic supply chains for key minerals and advanced batteries will reduce dependence on foreign sources. Funding is provided for carbon capture, hydrogen production, and next-generation nuclear reactors. Upgrading hydroelectric facilities, plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, and reclaiming former mining lands also receive attention. Requirements to collect more energy data will inform future policy. Though not exhaustive, the division touches on priorities to position American energy systems for the future – cleaner, more secure, and more robust. Progress on these fronts will take time, but the legislation plants important seeds (117th Congress, 2021).

The Infrastructure Act devotes over $50 billion to one of the most essential and overlooked facets of infrastructure – the hidden water systems bringing safe drinking water to homes and removing wastewater (EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2023). Division E reinvigorates state revolving funds and the workhorses of water infrastructure financing while inaugurating programs to confront new challenges. Lead line replacement, cybersecurity risks, rural access, stormwater overflows, and resilient systems in the era of climate change all receive targeted funding. Special provisions aid disadvantaged communities and tribal systems long plagued by inadequate facilities. The infusion of resources begins to reverse the neglect of unseen pipes and plants that underpin public health. Though more remains to be done, the investments signal coming upgrades that will deliver cleaner, more reliable water to households across America – a worthwhile, if invisible, legacy.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act emerges as a complex legislative patchwork stitched together through difficult compromise. Its breadth traces Congress' struggle to bundle priorities into a single viable package. While gaps and imperfections remain, the law channels funding into initiatives with far-reaching impacts on transportation networks, energy systems, and essential water services. Years of construction and upgrading lie ahead. But the investments plant seeds of renewal across America's infrastructure landscape, even if sprouts take time to emerge. The measure's passage over partisan obstinacy echoes earlier eras when ambitious public works gained broad support. Though overshadowed by later social policy bills, the legacy of the infrastructure law may prove more tangible for average Americans in the long run through its nuts-and-bolts repair of a fraying foundation underlying national prosperity.

EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2023, May 4). 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) | US EPA. EPA. Retrieved August 20, 2023, from https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/2022-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-clean-water-and-drinking-water-state-revolving

117th Congress. (2021, 11 15). H.R.3684 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Congress.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2023, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684

Resource Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Implementation and Key Resources. (2022, October 13). National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved August 20, 2023, from https://www.ncsl.org/state-federal/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act-implementation-and-key-resources