Infrastructure Reform Pt. 1

Hey Everyone,

I thought I would take the time to do some in depth analysis of the Infrastructure bill I authored - and why the subject is important in our society. I will break this analysis down into two parts: the first of which will provide context for why Infrastructure Reform is important and what are some blocks towards achieving reform; the second part will offer policy on solutions to reform how we invest in and maintain Infrastructure. 

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Infrastructure is by no means a "sexy' subject when it comes to policy: it's quite often boring and many don't consider it a top priority compared to other initiatives such as Healthcare, Taxes, or Immigration. Therefore maintaining a strong infrastructure in our country often falls through the cracks; it is disregarded until it must absolutely be addressed by a bipartisan effort in Congress, at which time it is often too late to make any grand permanent change. 

Maintaining a strong infrastructure is critical to the well being of any nation: if our roads, bridges, ports, sewage systems, water and electric systems, or newer technological infrastructure such as IT are underfunded and neglected, we sacrifice both the safety of our citizens and the well being of our economy. 


While it is often agreed upon by both sides that we must revitalize and improve our infrastructure (as evidenced by both candidates in the 2016 election advocating for Infrastructure reforms as well as multiple bipartisan initiatives in the past), policymakers never get around to passing comprehensive legislation. 

There are several reasons for this neglect, and the biggest reason is that repairing our infrastructure is expensive. Even if congress could pass legislation which granted several hundred billion dollars to repair our infrastructure, it still wouldn't be enough. In order to fix our infrastructure and return it to its most efficient state, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that over $2 trillion would be needed over the next 10 years; this is no easy task, especially when the US Government owes $20 trillion and runs a budget deficit of  over $443 billion. 



The second reason is because policymakers must prioritize their efforts on what they believe are the most critical issues. Despite the fact that 67% of Americans say President Trump and Congress should prioritize their efforts on Infrastructure Reform, they have instead been focusing on Healthcare and Tax Reform - both of which are significantly less important according to voters. Why is it then that policymakers can't address the needs of their constituents? The truth is the GOP, who control the legislative and the executive branches, believe repealing Obamacare (a cornerstone of their policy for the last decade), reducing taxes, and limiting government intervention are more important than fixing infrastructure; the same applies to the Democrats who would rather focus on phasing out Obamacare to Universal Healthcare or strengthening Social Security and other entitlements. The drive to pass comprehensive infrastructure is not very high - the Trump administration, as one of its main goals, may push in the future for Infrastructure Reform, but the chances that this reform is meaningful and passable are slim.

In part 2, I will talk about the in-depth policy specifics of what actual Infrastructure Reform could look like. 

Thanks everyone. 

Infrastructure Recovery Bill

Hey Everyone,

As with my last several posts, I will be sharing more of my work in writing bills aiming to bring up different solutions to some of the problems our country faces. 

This bill addresses the growing problem of our failing infrastructure, and proposes an affordable solution to fixing our infrastructure. Its main goal is to direct states to take on loans from something called a National Infrastructure Bank. Here is the full bill: 

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*Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,*

*Whereas:  Our infrastructure is incredibly underfunded and in desperate need for repair.*

*Whereas: A National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) has already been established, and can provide relief to states in need of infrastructure repair.*

*Whereas: Public pension investment in the NIB can provide much needed capital for loans to state and local governments, as well as a safe and steady return for pensions and funds already investing in the public and private market.*

*Whereas: The Federal Departments concerning themselves with infrastructure are the Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Commerce, and the EPA.*

**Section 1: Short Title**

This Act shall be known as the Infrastructure Recovery Act

**Section 2: Definitions and Terms**

1. Modernization: Modernization shall be the act of upgrading and improving any outdated buildings, materials, and systems already in place.

2. National Infrastructure Bank: An independently run Federal Bank whose purpose is to provide long-term, low-interest loans with capital from private investment to fund infrastructure projects.

**Section 3: Grant Appropriations**

1. Over the next ten years, Congress shall work in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Energy to do the following:

1. Offer grants to all 50 states of the United States of America with the following appropriations;

1. $20 billion shall go towards expanding high-speed broadband in areas without such access;

1. A review of areas without broadband internet access shall be conducted by the FCC, and will report their findings towards the National Telecommunications and Information Administration;

2. The Department of Commerce shall administer the grants and shall ensure such grants are being properly used;

2. $20 billion shall go towards a Vital Infrastructure Program;

1. The “Vital Infrastructure Program” shall be administered by the Infrastructure Advisory Board;

1. Appropriations for the Vital Infrastructure Program shall be administered by the Department of the Treasury;

3. $50 billion shall go towards repairing public schools;

1. Such grants shall go towards improving specifically the facilities and conditions of public schools;

1. Such grants shall also go towards providing increased tools and supplies necessary to all public schools;

1. One percent (1%) or less of the grants may be used on sports teams and materials;

2. The Department of Education shall administer the grants and shall ensure such grants are being properly used;

4. $100 billion shall go towards funding energy infrastructure and grid modernization;

1. The Department of Energy shall administer the grants and shall ensure such grants are being properly used;

5. $150 billion shall go towards repairing and modernizing local water systems and sewer systems;

1. The EPA shall administer the grants and shall ensure such grants are being properly used;

6. $500 billion shall go towards repairing and maintaining our nation's roads, highways, bridges, airports, waterways, and ports;

1. The Department of Transportation shall administer the grants and shall ensure such grants are being properly used;

2. State governments shall report the details for what they have done with the grants provided to the respective Departments in charge of the specific infrastructure investments made in this section:

1. If the grants have been used for the purposes other than those outlined above, the state government shall be fully expected to pay back the entirety of the grant to the federal government;

1. If a state refuses to do so, all transportation grants to the state shall be immediately frozen, and will be unfrozen once the grants are paid back;

3. All grants administered to State Governments must include provisions on establishing job-guarantee programs as a condition to receive such grants;

**Section 4: Infrastructure Advisory Board**

1. An Infrastructure Advisory Board (IAB) shall be created, with its purposes being:

1. To conduct research, studies, and surveys into the state of US Infrastructure;

1. The IAB shall compile a report based on section 4(a)(i) of this act, delivered to the President, each Federal Department involving itself in infrastructure, and the committees and subcommittees in the House of Representatives and Senate concerning themselves with infrastructure;

2. To formulate plans on how to best improve US infrastructure, and come up with long term viable solutions to ensure US infrastructure remains strong;

1. Such plans will have estimated costs and required appropriation estimates;

2. This plan shall be sent to each Federal Department involving itself in infrastructure and shall act as a recommendation;

3. All plans must encourage the creation of job-guarantee programs to go along with grants/loan approvals to states;

2. The IAB shall be made up of all Federal Department Secretaries concerning themselves with Infrastructure, and shall be called the IAB’s Governing Body:

1. The IAB shall be headed by a person appointed by the President, who will consult the Governing Body on all matters, but will make all final decisions on research reports, improvement plans, and budgetary matters;

1. An executive decision by the head of the IAB, may be overridden by 2/3rds of the Governing Body,

2. The appointed head of the IAB shall report directly to the President of the United States of America,

3. Within the IAB, a Vital Infrastructure Board shall be created as a subdivision:

1. The VIB shall be composed of each Deputy Secretary from each Department represented in the IAB,

2. The VIB shall review cases made by each state and determine grants to states most in need of immediate transportation or other infrastructure funds,

3. The VIB Shall report all grants to states in need of emergency infrastructure funds to the  head of the IAB, and its Governing Body;

**Section 5: Investments and Expansions in the National Infrastructure Bank**

1. § 3 subsection (c)(i) of [H.R. 698](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModelUSGov/comments/61ncql/hr_698_the_investing_in_our_seniors_act/) shall be amended to read:

1. “There shall be a money market fund, a stock market index fund, a real estate investment trust, a corporate bond fund, a National Infrastructure Bank bond fund, and a U.S. Treasury bond fund.”;

1. A National Infrastructure Bank bond fund shall be defined as a fund which buys all types of securities issued by the NIB, and accrues returns through interest;

2. The Social Security (SS) Trust Fund shall hereby be authorized to buy all types of securities issued by the National Infrastructure Bank:

1. The amount of funds within the aforementioned Trust Fund invested in National Infrastructure Bank bonds may not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the total Trust fund;

2. The SS Trust Fund shall not make any investments in projects in the National Infrastructure Bank that are marked as risky by the bank;

3. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which administers the Thrift Savings Plan, shall be authorized to to buy all types of securities issued by the National Infrastructure Bank:

1. The amount of funds within the aforementioned Trust Fund invested in National Infrastructure Bank bonds may not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the total Trust fund;

2. The Thrift Savings Plan Trust Fund shall not make any investments in projects the National Infrastructure Bank has marked as risky by the bank;

4. § 4 subsection a of [B.205 The Establishment of a National Infrastructure Bank Act](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModelUSGov/comments/3vg37k/b205_establishment_of_a_national_infrastructure/) shall be amended to read:

1. Loans issued by the NIB may account for one hundred percent (100%) of the total financing for each prospective project if the capital is available, and the state and local governments agree to such a loan;

**Section 6: Funding**

1. States must submit a report on how much money they need appropriated from each department below,

1. The report must include a plan of what each state will do with the federal grants and a time table

2. Each department shall individually fund each plank of this act in accordance with Section 6c. of this act, in the following ways:

1. The Department of Treasury shall allocate $20 billion over the next ten years to the grants outlined in section 3;

2. The Department of Commerce shall allocate $20 billion over the next ten years to the grants outlined in section 3;

3. The Department of Education shall allocate $50 billion over the next ten years to the grants outlined in section 3;

4. The Department of Energy shall allocate $100 billion over the next ten years to the grants outlined in section 3;

5. The EPA shall allocate $150 billion over the next ten years to the grants outlined in section 3;

6. The Department of Transportation shall allocate $500 billion over the next ten years to the grants outlined in section 3

3. To pay for such a project, the Departments listed above shall apply for loans from the National Infrastructure Bank accounting for 100% of funding, pursuant to section 5 of this act;

1. In order to pay for the interest on such loans from the NIB, a 2 cent increase shall be levied on the Federal Gas Tax,

1. Any funds remaining which were not used to pay back debt shall go into the Highway Trust Fund;

2. Upon the payback of all debt, all revenue from the Federal Gas Tax shall go to the Highway Trust Fund;

**Section 7: Enactment**

1. This act shall take effect immediately after its passage to law;

2. Severability;—The provisions of this act are severable; If any part of this act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, that declaration shall not affect the part which remains;

3. Implementation-- All Department specified in this act shall be responsible for the necessary appropriations and reviews to make effective the provisions of this act;