Infrastructure deal appears to vindicate Biden's faith in bipartisanship
Annie Linskey and Tyler Pager, The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - A beaming President Joe Biden led a group of
Democratic and Republican senators out of the White House shortly after noon
Thursday on a sunny yet not-too-hot Washington summer day. He motioned for the
10 lawmakers to gather around him for a moment he'd long envisioned.
"We had a really good meeting," Biden said,
wearing the grin of a person who has been doubted and then proved right, even
if just for the moment. "We have a deal."
If passed by Congress, the $973 billion bipartisan agreement
to fund roads, bridges, pipes, transmission lines and broadband over five years
will be the largest package of spending on the country's infrastructure in
modern history.
It also would show that Biden has found a way to bridge a
divided Washington - at least on the popular issue of spending money on
construction - and achieve an agreement that eluded his predecessor, whose
frequent promises to focus on infrastructure became a running joke in
Washington. One of Biden's central campaign pledges was that he could make the
country's legislative system work again, a claim that was mocked as either
naive or hopelessly out of touch, even by some of his own supporters.
But now Biden is poised to deliver legislation that would
rid the country of dangerous lead pipes carrying drinking water, fund thousands
of construction jobs and pour money into transit - including his beloved Amtrak
- all with at least a handful of Republican votes. Biden also has pledged to
sign a separate measure, likely to be passed only with Democratic support, that
includes liberal priorities such as subsidizing health-care workers, extending
direct child-care payments to families and bringing down college costs.
Both measures would need to be passed for Biden's optimism
to be vindicated. But the president took a minute Thursday to savor victory
nonetheless.
"I know there are some in my party who discouraged me
from seeking agreement with our Republican colleagues - who said that we should
go bigger and go alone," Biden said at a separate news conference Thursday
afternoon to discuss the deal. "To them I say this: I've already shown in
my young presidency I'm prepared to move the country forward. . . . We can find
common ground."
He also appealed to the country to reduce the partisan
fever. "We've devoted far too much energy to competing with one another
and not nearly enough energy competing with the rest of the world to win in the
21st century."
The unusual nature of the moment garnered Biden praise from
some onetime opponents.
"It feels that this is the beginning of a progressive
era that could last 25 years," said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who was a
national co-chair for the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the 2020
Democratic presidential primaries. "People will look back and think Joe
Biden ushered in the beginning of the progressive era. . . . It would be the
actual rejection of Reaganism."
Biden's tentative win on infrastructure, however, comes as
progress on other Democratic priorities has stalled. The anniversary of George
Floyd's killing by a police officer in Minneapolis came and went without
tangible progress on a police reform measure that is bogged down in Congress.
Gun control remains out of reach even as the nation undergoes a wave of murders
and mass shootings. And the week began with the failure of a sweeping voting
rights measure billed by Democrats as a way of shoring up American democracy
amid GOP efforts to limit access to voting.
Yet Brian Fallon, executive director of the liberal group
Demand Justice, who has worried that Biden might sell out the left for a GOP
compromise, sounded a note of optimism: "If they keep with this two-track
plan, I think that Biden is going to be able to have his cake and eat it
too."
Longtime friends and allies of Biden's said the deal was
personally significant to the president as a way of ensuring that the
possibility of bipartisan consensus did not disappear, while also reflecting
his desire to leave a lasting legacy.
Anita Dunn, a White House senior adviser, said Biden has an
abiding belief in the legislative process to pass "longer lasting laws
with broad support."
"He understands there are people in our party who don't
agree with his assessment, but he believes this is the way to move forward when
it's available, and if the other side doesn't want to work with you on an
issue, you will have to go at it alone," she said. "But when there is
the possibility of building a consensus, the probability of passing something
into law becomes much higher."
Former senator Ted Kaufman, D-Del., a close Biden ally, said
the moment is the culmination of a lifetime of seeking to work across the
aisle.
"It's like anybody who has prepared for two years, five
years, or 10 years, or 15 years to be a concert violinist or to be major league
second baseman," Kaufman said. "It's essentially that he's been
preparing his whole life."
But Kaufman also said Biden knows that this week's deal
could be ephemeral: "This is like if you win six games in the beginning of
the season and you have 115 more to play. This is not the time to break open
the champagne."
Biden has long suggested that GOP resistance to working with
Democrats was caused by former president Donald Trump.
Republicans would have an "epiphany" if he
defeated Trump, he had said. On the campaign trail, Biden also said that
Republican were "decent people," a friendly posture that irritated
some liberals.
The president kept that theme going Thursday, making a point
of naming Republican senators he said he can trust and saying it's possible to
have faith in a person with whom he might disagree on many issues.
"They've given me their word," Biden said outside
the White House, referring to the five Senate Republicans standing behind him
who were involved in crafting the deal. "Where I come from that's good
enough for me."
He returned to the idea of trust in comments later.
"Mitt Romney has never broken his word to me,"
Biden said, referring to the senator from Utah and former Republican
presidential nominee who helped hammer out the deal. "You know, the
senator from Alaska, the senator from Maine, they've never broken their word.
They're friends. The people I was with today are people that I trust."
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania,
said, "Everybody that's willing to come to the table and compromise
deserves credit."
"This is the first time since he started that he came
to the cameras and said we have a bipartisan agreement," Fitzpatrick said.
"We're proud of that. Everybody that had a piece of that should be proud
of that. I hope that they, you know, my hope is that, you know, our colleagues
here don't try to hijack that with the reconciliation process."
But Thursday's announcement required more than just cutting
a deal with some members of the GOP; Biden also needed to sell it to his own
party. Because of the 50-50 split in the Senate, any Democratic senator or one
of the independents who caucus with Democrats will effectively have veto power
over the agreement.
Biden has long predicted that his 36 years of experience as
a senator would allow him strike the kind of deals he announced.
"I'm going to drive you crazy for the next four years,
because I'm going to tell you the truth as I see," Biden said Thursday.
"I know the Senate and the House better than most of you know it."
The bravado was quickly followed by a measure of humility as
the president was asked to predict whether this complicated deal really could
work. "Nobody knows for sure," Biden said. "That idea of my telling
you now that I know what every senator - how they're going to vote - it's is
just not - I don't know that."
Biden then toggled back to his experience: "I don't
have any guarantee, but what I do have is a pretty good read over the years of
how the Congress and the Senate works."
Infrastructure deal would boost investments in rail and transit
Ian Duncan, The Washington Post
An infrastructure spending deal crafted by a bipartisan group of senators would represent among the biggest federal investments in rail and transit, the White House said, with spending that could serve the administration's climate and racial equity goals. But the president also agreed to dramatically pare back a proposed fund to remove or redesign urban highways while cutting investments in electric vehicles.
The agreement includes $312 billion dedicated to
transportation, a proposal that would represent a significant boost in federal
spending on the nation's transportation infrastructure. Layered on top of
current federal spending, it would provide billions more than lawmakers have
included in transportation funding bills moving through Congress, even though
it's scaled back by about one-third from the White House's initial American
Jobs Plan.
Despite the lower overall spending, the administration said
it would achieve many of the same transportation objectives.
"This is a big deal for transportation infrastructure,
climate action, equity, job creation, and more - it represents a key part of
the president's economic agenda, with major and much-needed investments in
America's future," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a
tweet.
The White House said the plan would "improve healthy,
sustainable transportation options for millions of Americans by modernizing and
expanding transit and rail networks across the country, while reducing greenhouse
gas emissions." The administration said spending on roads and bridges
would come with a focus on reducing the impact of climate change and ensuring
the safety of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
The agreement calls for $109 billion for roads, bridges and
major construction projects, along with $49 billion for transit and $66 billion
for rail. The package also would include $25 billion for airports and $16
billion for seaports and waterways - figures that are in line with Biden's
original pitch.
On some specific equity and climate measures, the new
proposal would provide significantly less money than Biden initially requested.
It allocates $1 billion for a fund to reconnect communities
divided by transportation construction in the 20th century, far less than the
$25 billion in the original White House pitch. Funding for electric-vehicle
infrastructure would amount to $7.5 billion, with another $7.5 billion for
electric buses, down from a combined $40 billion. The White House says even the
smaller sum for charging infrastructure would be enough to meet its goal of
installing 500,000 outlets across the country.
Jeff Davis, a fellow at the policy analysis group Eno Center
for Transportation, calculated that when it comes to road, rail and transit
spending, the framework proposes about $16 billion more than a transportation
bill advancing through the House. (The Senate is considering a similar bill but
hasn't set a funding level for transit.)
The American Society of Civil Engineers, which produces an
influential rating of the nation's infrastructure, said the new framework was
encouraging and could help address what it assesses to be a $2.59 trillion
shortfall in needed spending over the next decade.
The Biden administration has framed its transportation plans
as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape how people get around. Many
bridges and highways are reaching the end of their life span and need to be
replaced or overhauled. At the same time, transportation is the nation's
biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with electric vehicles slowly
taking hold. Communities of color and poorer neighborhoods often suffer from
fewer transportation options, limiting access to jobs and health care.
Details on how the money would be spent were limited -
specifics that some analysts cautioned Thursday could alter the agreement's
ability to reach Biden's goals of helping the environment and making the
transportation system more equitable.
"What policy is attached to these expenditures?"
said Kevin DeGood, director of infrastructure policy at left-leaning think tank
the Center for American Progress. "That matters a great deal."
He pointed to a transportation bill written by House
Democrats, which would require states to consider transit and other options
before expanding their road networks, while holding them accountable for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
A Senate committee's version of the bill would set fewer
restrictions on spending, but it passed unanimously out of committee.
Paul Skoutelas, president of the American Public
Transportation Association, praised the bipartisan group's latest effort
Thursday while also reiterating the organization's support for the House bill.
"Our nation demands forward-looking infrastructure
investment that modernizes public transit and passenger rail systems and meets
the growing and evolving mobility demands of communities," he said.
Although some senators involved in negotiations floated fees
on drivers as one way to cover the cost of new spending, the package steers
clear of changes to the gas tax or fees on electric vehicles.
Next steps for the proposal weren't clear Thursday. Lawmakers
could fold the additional money into existing transportation spending bills in
Congress or write a separate piece of legislation. Biden and House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., have said they want the bipartisan package to advance
alongside a budget bill that would not need Republican votes in the Senate,
which could be used to fulfill other Democratic objectives.
Infrastructure spending promises boost for industry
DAMIAN J. TROISE, AP Business Writer
Plans to pump money into rebuilding the nation’s roads,
bridges and other infrastructure could give companies that make machinery and
materials a solid foundation for growth.
Caterpillar, with its heavy machinery, and construction
materials company Vulcan Materials could see years of additional business as
roads and bridges are rebuilt and buildings are modernized. The benefits would
be even broader, impacting Sherwin-Williams, United Rentals and others that
make, sell, or rent anything used for construction.
The plans are long overdue, economists and business leaders
have said, as the nation’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure age without
any significant overhaul. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the
nation’s roads a poor grade in its 2021 report, saying 40% of the system is now
in poor or mediocre condition. Bridges, schools and much of the key
infrastructure in the U.S. doesn’t score much better.
President Joe Biden announced Thursday that a bipartisan
agreement had been reached on a $953 billion infrastructure plan.
Details of the deal were scarce, but the pared-down plan,
with $559 billion in new spending, has rare bipartisan backing and could open
the door to the president’s more sweeping $4 trillion proposals later on.
“From an economic growth perspective, we see the
infrastructure deal really boosting productivity,” said Ken Johnson, investment
strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.
Analysts at Citi and elsewhere have been focusing on the
president’s $1.7 trillion American Jobs Plan. That amount, or close to it,
seems likely to be what Congress eventually approves or enacts through other
means.
Any deal that makes it to the president’s desk for a
signature will be spread out over many years, giving stock values an initial
boost before the long-term benefits to profits and revenue kick in. And it’s
the larger companies that will likely see greater benefits from years-long
construction and overhaul projects.
Citi expects nearly all heavy machinery makers in its
coverage group to benefit from government spending, but Caterpillar is likely
going to be the biggest winner.
“Coming as little surprise to anyone that has passed by a
major highway project, Caterpillar has strong market share positions in most of
the heavy construction equipment categories in North America,” according to a
Citi report.
Profits for many companies tied to the construction or
industrial sector are already projected to gain ground over the next several
years as the economy recovers. Any spending measure spread out over years will
help secure and boost that growth through contracts for projects and orders for
supplies and equipment.
Makers of cranes, bulldozers and other machinery are still only
part of the bigger picture. Companies that make asphalt, concrete and other
road and building materials are in a good position with any future
infrastructure spending. Vulcan Materials and Martin Marietta Materials are
among the biggest makers of aggregates in the U.S.
“Remember that in any definition of infrastructure, if it’s
new construction, aggregates is going to be in the foundation,” said J. Thomas
Hill, president and CEO of Vulcan Materials in a conference call with
investors. “So, it’ll help us whether it’s roads and bridges or other forms of
infrastructure.”
Paint and coatings makers like Sherwin-Williams and PPG
Industries are also in a good position to take advantage of any ramped up
government spending. Bridges need paint and other coatings to stay hardy
against the elements, while roads and buildings also need a significant amount
of paint.
West Haven has an I-95 bridge rated 'deficient.' Here's the CT plan to fix it.
Brian Zahn
WEST HAVEN — A structurally-deficient bridge supporting
Interstate 95 over the Metro North Railroad tracks is scheduled for maintenance
in about two years, according to the state.
A state Department of Transportation spokesman said the
state-owned bridge, which is located approximately 1,300 feet east of First
Avenue, is tentatively scheduled for maintenance in summer 2023 to address
structural deficiencies to the bridge’s superstructure. The state said the
bridge is safe.
For the project, state officials are planning a widening of
the bridge for a total estimated cost of $14.5 million in federal and state
money.
According to DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick, inspectors rated
the superstructure of the bridge a four out of nine, an indicator that the
superstructure is in poor condition.
However, he said that rating is not “alarming or worrisome”
and the construction project is “typical” to address aging infrastructure.
“It is expected and anticipated that over the long life of a
bridge, that it will eventually at some point fall into the category of being
structurally deficient,” he said. “This is the aging process of a bridge
structure; when you reach that point, a mechanism is engaged to rehabilitate or
replace that structure.”
“(W)e want to minimize and mitigate, to the greatest extent
possible, impacts to I-95 traffic flow during the project,” Nursick said.
Nursick said DOT inspects all of the structures to make sure
they are safe every 2 years at least.
According to an overview of the planned construction, the
existing West Haven bridge — constructed in 1956 and rehabilitated in 1985 —
consists of a simply supported, six-span, steel multi-girder superstructure
with a reinforced concrete deck and a bituminous concrete wearing surface.
“The purpose and need for the project is to address the
structural deficiencies and functionally obsolescence of Bridge No. 00162,” the
overview said, referring to the name of the West Haven bridge.
“The bridge is structurally deficient due to the poor
condition of the superstructure and functionally obsolete due to the inadequate
deck geometry,” the report states.
A state report says the bridge consists “of three 12-foot
travel lanes, a 4-foot left shoulder and a 4-foot right shoulder in both the
northbound and southbound directions” and had an estimated daily ridership of
136,900 vehicles in both directions according to a 2017 study cited in the
report.
The project “involves the removal and replacement of the
six-span simply supported superstructure, piers and abutments with a three-span
curved steel composite continuous superstructure, piers and abutments, which will
be supported on existing and proposed concrete piles,” according to the project
overview.
“The structure will be widened to accommodate three 12-foot
travel lanes, a 12-foot operational lane, a 16-foot left shoulder and a 12-foot
right shoulder in the southbound direction; the northbound direction will
consist of three 12-foot travel lanes, a 16-foot left shoulder and a 12-foot
right shoulder,” the state report says.
West Haven Mayor Nancy Rossi said her office has not yet
been contacted by the state about traffic mitigation efforts, although “usually
they do.” She said she supports a widening of the bridge while maintaining
several lanes of traffic to prevent an influx of cars traveling through the
city during busy periods.
“If I-95 backs up, everybody hops off there,” she said.
“It’s rough with the traffic.”
According to the project overview, there will be
construction on an estimated 2,200 feet of roadway. A PowerPoint presentation
from the CTDOT indicates plans to keep three lanes of traffic open during peak
hours.
Nursick said two seasons of construction are expected to
complete work to the bridge, which would mean a tentative completion date of
late 2025. Nursick said traffic type and volume, and climate conditions make an
impact, in “a winter weather state, our bridges take a little more abuse.”
Norwalk River Valley Trail $3 million construction grant receiver
The Norwalk River Valley Trail, (NRVT,) recently received a
$3 million construction grant through support from the Town of Ridgefield, and
WestCOG, (Western Connecticut Council of Governments,).
The grant will cover all construction for the 1.5 mile
Ridgefield Ramble trail. It is the single largest grant that has beeb received
by the trail’s organization, since its inception in 2012. The funds for the
grant are from the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program, (LOTCIP,)
which provides Connecticut state funds to urbanized area municipal governments
in lieu of Federal funds. To activate the grant, the trail needs to raise
$130,000, which is 4 percent of the grant amount, to complete design, engineering,
leasing applications, and all state and local permitting for the grant.
“We are so grateful for the support by First Selectman Rudy
Marconi (Town of Ridgefield) and WestCOG for this major construction grant. The
trail will be a standout amenity for Ridgefield and it’s a major push forward
for the NRVT,” Norwalk River Valley Trail Executive Director Beth J. Merrill
said. “We now call on the public; the residents of Ridgefield, and surrounding
towns, to help us raise the $130,000 to activate construction. Please help us
build this wonderful trail in Ridgefield! Visit our website to donate. (www.nrvt-trail.com),” Merrill said.
“The Town of Ridgefield supports the NRVT 100%. Our receipt
of a grant to cover the majority of costs have been achieved. We now need
Ridgefield's help to reach the match required. Please support this vital asset
for our community,” Rudy Marconi, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.
Ridgefield Ramble’s beautiful property begins at a pond
adjacent to the Norwalk River (Rt. 7 & Simpaug Turnpike), and follows
around the pond, along the Norwalk River, then begins a climb into the
Berkshire foothills. There it wanders serenely among large old trees, rock
outcroppings, and in sight of a nearby rock escarpment. The top section of the
trail runs through a sheep fold from the early 1900’s, (at Bobby’s Court,)
before it connects to the NRVT Redding Mile, which is currently in
pre-construction. When it is completed, people will be able to hike from the
Ridgefield Ramble parking lot at Route 7 up to Fire Hill Rd in the town,, and
connect to the Redding Mile for a 2.8 mile long excursion. Once complete, the
trail’s Ridgefield section will be a five mile trail that connects Wilton to
trails in Redding.
Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDnXcm4ZAd4 for
a view of the trail site.
Waterbury lands $4 million grant for brownfields cleanup
Mike Puffer
WATERBURY — The state’s latest round of brownfield grants
will bring $4 million to continue cleanups of two derelict and polluted
industrial sites in Waterbury. Torrington will receive $200,000 to plan the
cleanup of another.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday the state has awarded $19
million to pursue cleanups of 31 blighted properties in 23 cities and towns.
“Cleaning up blighted properties that have been vacant for
decades and putting them into productive use will ultimately generate back many
more times the amount of these grants through private investments,” Lamont
said, according to a release by his office.
Waterbury already has spent a $1 million state grant having
a contractor demolish an industrial complex on a 14-acre site on Freight
Street. The site had long been used for metals manufacturing and industrial
waste processing.
In April, the state awarded a $2 million grant to continue
the cleanup at the former Anaconda American Brass site on Freight Street. The
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments also committed $200,000 to this project
in April.
Thursday’s announcement means Waterbury has $4.2 million in
new grant funds to continue work at the site.
The latest round of awards also committed $2 million to help
the city continue cleanup at the 17-acre Anamet industrial complex off South
Main St.
“This is an amazing investment from the state of
Connecticut,” Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O’Leary said. “Cleaning up these sites
brings enormous potential. We are very grateful to Gov. Lamont and (Department
of Economic and Community Development) Commissioner David Lehman.”
The state’s economic development agency handled grant
applications. In Waterbury’s case, these were submitted by Waterbury
Development Corp. The city agency has overseen cleanup and redevelopment
efforts at these and other industrial sites, a major component of O’Leary’s
nine-year administration.
Using a mix of state and local funding, Waterbury’s
development agency already has overseen about $5.3 million worth of demolition
and repair work at the former Anamet site off South Main St. That massive
manufacturing site closed in 2000 and had since become a crumbling, dangerous
eyesore. The city has paid contractors to demolish several large buildings and
plans to take down another four. It recently paid $2.3 million to repair the
roof of a 220,000-square-foot building on the site, a building O’Leary hopes to
sell or lease for warehousing or industrial use.
Thursday’s announcement also brings $200,000 to Torrington
toward redevelopment of the 7.1-acre Nidec site along the Naugatuck River.
The funding will help the city and Nidec Corp. plan a
brownfield redevelopment strategy, including a remedial action plan and
developer outreach. In 2015, the massive complex was demolished.
“The city and Nidec will work together to attract a
developer for this site, and the state grant can be used to assist the
developer with any additional testing that may need to be done, the development
of a remedial action plan and/or a soil management plan that will guide both
the remediation efforts and development of this parcel,” Torrington Mayor
Elinor C. Carbone said Thursday.
The funding comes as the city completed remediation of 100
Franklin St., the former home of Torrington Manufacturing Co. The site is being
prepared for construction of a 60-unit apartment complex.