WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump is expected to spend much of this week working to advance a $1 trillion plan for a joint public-private investment that would provide much-needed upgrades to all aspects of U.S. infrastructure, including energy, municipal water and broadband access.

 

During Trump’s self-named “infrastructure week,” the president is expected to rally support for his recent federal budget plan, which invests $200 billion in taxpayer dollars to jump-start the $1 trillion infrastructure upgrade program. The program is also intended to help keep the nation’s roads, bridges and waterways transportation infrastructure from crumbling – all of which are vital components of the agricultural and crop supply chain.

According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the administration intends to use the recommended $200 billion government investment “as an incentive to get projects underway and built more quickly with greater participation by state, local and private partners. This approach is in line with studies that show federal spending often substitutes rather than augments state and local funding on infrastructure.”

Chao offered insights into the administration’s goals for the program during a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce forum on infrastructure. She said private financing arrangements will be sought to pair the government with private sector contractors to build, operate and maintain infrastructure in urban and rural communities. Chao stressed that the administration “not only recognizes traditional infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railroads, airports, inland waterways and ports, (but their definition of infrastructure) may also include energy, water, broadband and veterans hospitals.”

Trump’s “infrastructure week” was expected to begin June 5 with a press event in the White House Rose Garden, where the president was expected to reiterate his vow to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system.

By midweek, Trump is expected to travel to the Ohio River Valley between Kentucky and Ohio to spotlight the importance of waterways and further lay out his transportation infrastructure repair agenda.

 

By the end of the week, Trump is expected to meet with a group of mayors and governors to discuss roads,bridges and waterways at the U.S. Transportation Department.

As Trump moves forward this week with his infrastructure plan, a coalition of transportation, labor and business organizations are urging congressional budget leaders to ensure the Federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is adequately funded following the 2020 expiration of the Obama-era Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The coalition wants to ensure that Congress’ FY 2018 budget, which should take effect Oct. 1, provides full funding of FAST Act authorizations, while also providing a reserve fund.

“The HTF’s revenue challenges and the resulting consequences on other parts of the federal budget and U.S. economy warrant a long-term solution to stabilize and grow federal surface transportation investment as part of any tax reform initiative,” according to the coalition. “To facilitate achievement of that goal, we urge you to include instructions in the FY 2018 budget resolution calling on the relevant tax and authorizing committees to develop legislation to permanently address the trust fund’s structural revenue deficit.”