Biden Administration

Lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee clashed over the stalled nominations of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and four others Wednesday. It was a prelude to the fireworks that could occur Thursday when Powell is scheduled to testify before the Senate Banking Committee.

Recent federal laws have provided municipalities with record levels of funding, but may only have a marginal increase in the number of issuances.

Much of the new infrastructure funding can't flow to states until a full FY22 bill is enacted.

“It’s important for the economy and the entirety of the American Rescue Plan that we see each county doing what it can for workers," Biden Senior Advisor Gene Sperling told the National Association of Counties.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn urged counties to continue to lobby for a bill that would allow ARPA funds to be used for transportation infrastructure and disaster relief.

It's the latest salvo in a growing controversy over the Federal Highway Administration's December memo discouraging states from building new highway capacity.

Many Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds can't flow without a FY22 budget

Restricting the use of IIJA funds for new highway capacity "flies in the face" of Congressional intent, said Sen. Mitt Romney.

Tax revenue declines and urban sprawl are among the possible unintended consequences of the rise in automated vehicles.

Public-private partnerships can play a big role in U.S. transportation over the next decade, DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg told governors.

"We're going to fix them all," President Biden said of the 45,000 bridges across the U.S. he said need repairs.

States want "maximum flexibility" when it comes to implementing the $7.5 billion program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Federal Highway Administration has acknowledged it lacks the authority to tell states how to spend federal infrastructure dollars, AASHTO said.

Enacting the muni market agenda through Build Back Better remains the top choice, but FY22 spending bills also present an opportunity, said the GFOA's lobbyist.

The bulk of the IIJA money will flow first to the states, so cities need to be organized and ready to work with governors, White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu told the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Joe Biden's comments about splitting up Build Back Better into separate bills represents a new opportunity for muni advocates to push for the inclusion of key priorities.

Cities led the American recovery last year, Yellen told mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting.

If Congress opts for a continuing resolution instead of a full-year appropriation, transportation lobbyists said they would ask for an exception so that IIJA funds can begin to flow.

The Department of the Treasury’s warning letter to Arizona may be a warning to all states who defy the Biden Administration’s rules related to ARPA funding, but disclosure related to clawbacks could be a problem for muni issuers.

The investment could repair 15,000 bridges across the country and requires states to set aside at least 15% for local bridges.