Guest opinion: Congress must appropriate funds for promise of infrastructure law to be realized - AL.com
By Scott D. Grayson, CAE CEO, American Public Works Association and Stan Brown President, American Public Works Association
This is an opinion column
When we read news reports that talk about Alabama receiving $5.5 billion of the $1.2 trillion in new federal highway infrastructure spending, we wonder when that money is actually coming.
Our American Public Works Association is the world’s largest public works organization, representing more than 30,000 public works professionals throughout North America, including Alabama. And we care deeply about making sure the money authorized by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) gets to the states and local governments that so desperately need and want to upgrade America’s infrastructure.
IIJA lines up with our public policy priorities, and it’s why we are urging Congress to pass FY 2022 funding immediately.
APWA was honored to be invited to attend the White House signing of IIJA in mid-November for the president’s signing of the infrastructure bill into law … but that was three months ago. We are disappointed that almost none of the $1.2 trillion has been appropriated yet. New projects are waiting to be funded and roads and bridges are in desperate need of repair. Additionally, money is needed to upgrade aging water systems.
We are grateful for Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Richard Shelby’s (R) work to advance a budget bill to include infrastructure spending, and we hope Congress adopts one soon for FY 2022.
However, until an appropriation is approved, Alabama will not receive the $885 million this fiscal year in federal highway IIJA dollars. Instead, without an appropriation for IIJA, Alabama will receive just $275 million.
The ports of Mobile and Guntersville are also waiting to receive the $32 million a year that is included under IIJA. And the state’s 226 high-hazard dams will go unrepaired even longer because the $778 million IIJA offers for rehabilitation and safety programs is waiting for Congress to finally – and fully – fund the bipartisan law.
The president’s signing of IIJA only authorized the promise of billions of dollars to Alabama this year. For Birmingham, to receive the money, Congress must fully fund the law to make sure the money can actually be spent by states and local governments. The implementation of this 5-year law will not begin until this happens.
What’s the hold-up? There have been multiple continuing resolutions (CR) extending the date to fund IIJA and finalize the FY 2022 federal budget. Congress just adopted another CR, but one more CR after the current one expires March 11 means Birmingham will have to wait longer to receive the hundreds of millions of intended IIJA dollars this year. Another stopgap measure after the current one means IIJA’s promise is again delayed while America’s infrastructure continues to deteriorate.
We are not alone in sharing our disappointment with the lack of Congressional movement toward completing appropriations. Federal Highway Administration Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack, Federal Transit Administrator Nuria Fernandez, and Federal Railroad Administration Deputy Administrator Amit Bose have all publicly acknowledged that CRs are hindering their ability to fully move forward with IIJA.
APWA is an organization of Americans – Alabamans – who plan, design, build, maintain, operate and oversee the country’s vast infrastructure networks. We are on the frontlines and see the importance of moving quickly to not only build new infrastructure projects but to repair and maintain current infrastructure to protect the public from collapsing bridges and tainted drinking water. We must act quickly. We approached the finish line in November with the signing of the infrastructure bill, but now we must cross it.
We are excited for Alabama because IIJA means safer communities, healthier drinking water, better roads and sturdier bridges. We urge you to call your members of Congress and ask them to appropriate the money already authorized by IIJA so we can rebuild Alabama and America.
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Scott D. Grayson, CAE, is the CEO of the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA). Follow him on Twitter @APWAScott.
Stan Brown is president of APWA and is the member services consultant for the Georgia Municipal Association.
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source: https://www.al.com/opinion/2022/02/guest-opinion-congress-must-appropriate-funds-for-promise-of-infrastructure-law-to-be-realized.html
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