Infrastructure

The T&I Committee is holding hearings on another landmark infrastructure bill.

The deal comes amid market inflows and a dearth of high-yield supply, but demand will depend, as always, on the price, investors said.

The DOT has made $20.5 billion available to state and local governments, in addition to signing an agreement that expands capacity at the Port of Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

In "my nearly 50 years in finance, I've never seen more demand for energy infrastructure," BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said in his latest investor letter.

The loan is part of an Inflation Reduction Act program that finances the restart of renewable energy projects that have ceased operations.

Supply chain disruptions and economic impacts are raising concerns.

The legislation gives up to $8.84 billion in bonding authority to the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority over a five-year period beginning July 1, about $1.76 billion annually.

A freighter struck the bridge early Tuesday morning, toppling the 47 year-old structure and creating both a human tragedy and an infrastructure challenge.

"What we're doing is just being prudent managing the risk," said Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chief Financial Officer Kevin Willens.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has unveiled a spending package to keep the government funded for the remainder of FY 2024, setting up a tense window for the bill to be passed before the government shuts down on Saturday morning.

The traditional tax exemption "does take some of the volatility out," said Mark Ritacco, chief government affairs officer for the National Association of Counties.

"Insurance rationing by the leading insurers is becoming the mechanism by which climate risk is starting to impact municipal issuers," said Triet Nguyen, vice president of strategic data operations at DPC Data.

Gov. Tina Kotek sent a letter to transportation commissioners asking them to scrap a tolling plan for Portland-area highways that was seven years in the making.

Federal officials are pushing for reauthorization while cities tout their planning.

The state's transportation department plans to sell $200 million of highway fund revenue bonds this summer for its Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program.

The American High-Speed Rail Act has seen "some initial interest from Republican lawmakers – I'm working hard to get them on board too," said bill sponsor Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

States and local governments can use the funds to hire advisors to consider alternative delivery models for transportation projects.

"Cry me a river, Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., told officials testifying about grant funding problems in the infrastructure law. "You guys have never had it so good."

Sam Graves' term leading the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is up but he is looking to stay on.

Detroit, which has several climate-friendly projects in the pipeline, is seeking a tax advisor to help navigate snag tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act.