The White House said it has so far announced nearly $454 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which the president signed into law at the end of 2021. The money has been used to fund projects and awards in more than 4,500 communities across the 50 States.
“Across the country, we are innovating and pioneering projects that are unlocking access to economic opportunities,” said Natalie Quillian, White House deputy chief of staff, in a conference call with reporters.
To date, the administration has launched nearly 13,000 bridge repair and improvement projects on more than 400,000 kilometers of roads. The government also provided funding for more than 5,000 clean school buses aimed at reducing emissions, as well as funding to help replace up to 1.7 million toxic lead pipes.
As part of Infrastructure Week, the White House also revealed an updated map showing where there are projects that receive funding from the infrastructure law. Senior Biden administration officials will also travel the country throughout the week to highlight infrastructure investments, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland among those they will do the rounds.
“All of this progress is part of the president’s broader vision to invest in America,” Quillian said, citing legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act, the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act that have focused on US investments. private sector and provisions to reduce costs.
The infrastructure law has been key to President Biden’s pitch to voters as he seeks re-election. He traveled the country to highlight bridges, railroads and airports that have benefited or will benefit from the bipartisan law, betting that Americans will reward him politically for his administration’s efforts to make basic improvements in their communities.
Biden routinely seeks to contrast his administration’s focus on infrastructure with former President Trump’s repeated failure to deliver on an infrastructure bill, despite repeated promises of an “infrastructure week.”
“He promised us ‘Infrastructure Week,’” Biden said at a conference of union members last month. “Well, I’ll tell you what, it took four years; he never built anything.”
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