Engineering Inc - March/April 2018 - 8

LEGISLATIVEACTION

COURTESY: REP. JOHN J. DUNCAN OFFICE

Administration Unveils
$1.5 Trillion Infrastructure
Proposal

I

n his State of the Union address, President Trump called on Congress to pass an infrastructure
package that generates $1.5 trillion in total investment over 10 years. The administration's
subsequent budget request identifies $200 billion in federal funds, which would be used to
leverage additional state, local and private sources of funding.
The plan would allocate 50 percent of the funds to incentive grants for a wide range of
eligible projects, including surface transportation, airports, maritime and inland waterways
and ports, flood control, water supply, hydropower, water resources, drinking water, storm
water facilities, brownfields and Superfund sites. Funding would be limited to a 20 percent
federal cost share, and the selection criteria would include a "look back" period for state and local
revenue measures in recent years.
Twenty-five percent of the funds would be directed to a rural investment program, including transportation, broadband, water resources, and electric generation, transmission and distribution projects.
Most of the funds would be apportioned to states via a formula based on the ratios of rural highway
lane miles and rural population totals, and the governor of each state would control the funds.
Ten percent would be allocated to high-risk "transformative projects" and seven percent for
increases to federal credit programs such as TIFIA and WIFIA. The plan also lays out recommendations for expanded eligibility for Private Activity Bonds, additional tolling authority on interstates
and other financing measures, as well as aggressive reforms to environmental review requirements to
speed up project delivery.
The proposal does not address the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund or additional
funding through existing federal infrastructure accounts, both ACEC priorities.
"The president's focus on infrastructure is commendable, but without real federal funding to
address the huge backlog of desperately needed improvements, the president's $1.5 trillion pledge
would be no more than a mirage," said ACEC President and CEO Dave Raymond.

ANADOLU AGENCY / GETTY IMAGES

President Donald Trump delivers
the State of the Union.

8

ENGINEERING INC.

MARCH / APRIL 2018

Rep. John J. "Jimmy"
Duncan, R-Tenn.

ACEC Endorses
Bill to Prevent
Government
Competition,
Promote Private
Sector Utilization
The Council expressed its
strong support for the Freedom
from Government Competition Act (H.R. 1339), a bill
to require federal agencies to
procure commercially available
goods and services from private
sources rather than perform
them in-house.
Introduced by Rep.
John J. "Jimmy" Duncan,
R-Tennessee, the bill would
include professional services
offered by A/E firms.
Exceptions are made for
national defense, homeland
security and other inherently
governmental functions or
where there is no private source
capable of providing the good
or service.
"H.R. 1339 recognizes that
public agencies can and should
rely on the skills and expertise
that private sector firms provide," wrote ACEC President
and CEO Dave Raymond.
"They can use local firms to
meet tight project deadlines
and identify innovative ways to
get projects done in an efficient
and cost-effective manner."
The House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee will likely consider the bill
in the coming weeks.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc - March/April 2018
