Infrastructure

Infrastructure policy covers the physical systems that underpin the American economy and quality of life: roads, bridges, ports, rail, airports, water and wastewater systems, broadband internet, electric grids, and public transit. American infrastructure has been graded D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers, reflecting decades of underinvestment relative to need. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 — also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — was the largest federal infrastructure investment in decades, allocating $1.2 trillion over five years for surface transportation, broadband, water, and energy infrastructure. The law funds $65 billion for broadband expansion to reach the 21 million Americans still without high-speed internet access, $55 billion for clean water and lead pipe replacement, $39 billion for public transit modernization, and $17.5 billion for bridge repair. The U.S. has historically underinvested in public transit relative to peer nations — most European and East Asian cities have vastly superior rail and transit systems that reduce car dependency and carbon emissions. The aging electric grid is a growing concern: extreme weather events (Texas's 2021 winter storm, California wildfires) have exposed grid vulnerabilities, and the surge in electricity demand from AI data centers and electric vehicles requires significant new transmission investment. Implementation of the IIJA has been slower than anticipated due to supply chain constraints, permitting delays, and workforce shortages.