Question

Please write at least two large paragraphs to describe your critical thoughts and reflections about watching the movie "The Race to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure." Specifically, what do you think about the issue of aging and deteriorating the American public infrastructure system? What are the possible consequences of aging and deteriorating the American public infrastructure system? What actions should we take to address this issue?

Answer 1

SUMMARY

America’s infrastructure supports the world’s largest economy across a network of nearly 9 million miles of roadway, 160,000 public water systems, 5.5 million miles of local electrical distribution lines, and nearly 90 million fixed broadband subscribers. Unfortunately, due to years of underinvestment and deferred maintenance, America is no longer keeping pace and continues to fall behind other countries. By some estimates, the funding gap may be as high as $2 trillion by 2025 across all sectors of American infrastructure.

This report details bipartisan policy solutions that will improve our highways, roads and bridges, transit and railways, ports and airports, water and sewer systems, energy systems and the power grid, and broadband and communications networks. By modernizing existing user fees, incentivizing private innovation and investment through public private partnerships, making smarter investments with limited federal dollars, and increasing accountability to taxpayers, this taskforce believes we can build a 21st Century

PROBLEM STATEMENT (CONSEQUENCES)

Congress must reconsider how it funds, finances, and treats infrastructure investments. We must fulfill our duty to provide stable, long-term funding for infrastructure that supports America’s national security and our nearly $20 trillion economy, while also encouraging innovative financing and provide increased accountability to taxpayers so they know that every single dollar is invested wisely. Congress must also cut red tape and stop gridlock when it prevents projects from moving forward in as expedient a manner as possible, while ensuring environmental and safety protections.

ACTIONS TAKEN

SOLUTIONS

FUNDING AND FINANCING

Congress needs to fulfill its duty to provide stable long-term sustainable funding for infrastructure

. Preserve and expand tax-advantaged infrastructure financing options by maintaining the federal taxexempt status for municipal bonds and private activity bonds as well as increasing the private activity bond state volume cap for all infrastructure categories.

Incentivize states to adopt Public Private Partnership (P3) enabling legislation and establish P3 units to evaluate projects for viability as public private partnerships. While private sector participation alone cannot close the infrastructure gap, giving states and local governments flexibility in using P3s will provide them with an additional tool in their toolbox. P3s take many forms, from installing new lighting alongside highways to building and maintaining multi-billion dollar assets like new highways and wastewater treatment systems.

Support increased transparency in competitive federal grant program decision making, as recommended by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to ensure resources are targeted most effectively and programs are administered in line with Congressional intent (GAO-18-38: Published: Nov 2, 2017).

Designate a rural liaison within each infrastructure agency (i.e., U.S. Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Interior, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services) to provide technical assistance and help rural communities compete for funding or financing, and ensure rural set asides are maintained in grant and formula funding programs.

Implement reforms to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), and other federal financing programs that expand eligibility criteria and encourage more small system applications in rural communities. TIFIA and WIFIA have a proven track record in providing flexible, low cost loans and loan guarantees to projects of regional and national significance. In fact, every dollar these programs provide in federal loan assistance leverages up to $40 dollars in total public and private investment, making them one of the best multipliers in government.