Louisiana could be in line for billions of dollars in federal “infrastructure” aid under President Biden’s over two trillion dollar American Jobs Plan.
Biden says Louisiana is in particular need, giving the state a D+ grade on the Infrastructure Report Card. State Transportation Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson didn’t dispute that appraisal.
“I do not deny that we have a system that is challenged and they discuss in that report card kind of a systemic lack of investment over many, many years,” said Wilson.
It’s currently unclear exactly how much of the two trillion dollar bill would be headed to Louisiana.
The single biggest item in the proposal is 600 billion dollars for transportation infrastructure, 115 billion of that going to repairing roads and bridges.
“Within that plan comes special funding for rural bridges, and equity-type projects to reunited communities that were separated or where we have gross underrepresentation,” said Wilson.
Also included is 50 billion for infrastructure environmental resiliency, 111 billion for clean water infrastructure, 300 billion for manufacturing, 100 billion for broadband, and 85 billion for public transportation.
The AJP is marketed as an infrastructure bill but it contains hundreds of billions in funding for expanded childcare, elderly caregiving, and housing. Wilson said those investments are needed to power a modern economy.
“Infrastructure can be hard infrastructure or soft infrastructure, these are all things needed to keep the economy moving,” said Wilson. “If you think about the New Deal, it was more than just building roads and bridges.”
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