SOME OF THE (OTHER) THINGS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
Weighing in at 2,702 pages (albeit double-spaced and with wide legislative margins), the hard-to-forge Senate bipartisan infrastructure deal is a more complex bill than your average infrastructure bear.
Reading it shows why this took so long to craft. The deal is full of tricky needles -- competing interests -- lawmakers had to thread.
Example: “resilience grants,” page 356. These are to help communities mitigate the ways climate and other disasters affect infrastructure. But these are no simple feats. You can almost feel the … layers added for each new concern. At least 25 percent must be for rural areas. At least 2 percent for Indigenous tribes. No more than 25 percent for rail in urban centers. No more than 40 percent for new capacity. No more than 10 percent for planning.
And that is just 30 pages, one program, out of scores in the bill.
So let’s dig in.
Here’s a rundown of the basics along with some of the things we found going through this sweeping bill.
The bill overall
Name: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. We are starting to call it “Eye-Jah” (IIJA). Unclear if any other humans anywhere are doing the same.
Size: 2,702 pages, 510,000+ words.
Authors: Senrs. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, are the lead authors. They are joined by the other eight senators in the bipartisan “G10” group: Sens. Joe Manchin D-W.Va.; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Mark Warner, D-Va. and Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
How the bill is organized: It has 10 “divisions,” A through J. Those include some legislative structure, such as a division for appropriations and one for revenue. But overall, there are five key divisions that lay out where most spending is going:
- Surface transportation
- Public transit
- Energy
- Water
- Broadband
What else is in here?
It is hard to know where to start, but here are five interesting programs and nuggets we found in the bill.
- Saving Alaska’s ferries. In Alaska, “critical infrastructure” includes the state’s “maritime highway”, a network of ferries that cover more than 3,500 miles (!!) which is essential for residents across the Aleutian Islands and the state’s rural coast.
But the ferry system has faced financial problems in recent years. It serves sparsely populated areas at a great cost.
Enter page 2,399 of the infrastructure bill where we noticed something called “Ferry Service for Rural Communities.” This is $1 billion dollars over five years, designated specifically for ferry services that stopped in at least two rural communities not less than 50 miles apart. We checked — Delaware doesn’t qualify. Nor does North Carolina. But Alaska dpes.
The ferry system is something the state’s senior senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, has advocated for before. And as a key member of the bipartisan group writing the bill, she got it.
- Tribal water rights. The bill addresses a significant piece of history: A historic inequity. It would fully fund what the federal government owes in dozens of lawsuits over the water rights of Native American tribes. Based on actions dating back to 1908, courts this century have found that the U.S. is responsible for restoring or providing water access to tribes it forced off of indigenous lands. Until now, Congress had not passed funding to actually fix the problem. If this bill passes, it will.
(In a related note, we highly recommend this story from our friend and colleague Stephanie Sy about a water conflict involving Indigenous and non-Native residents in Oregon.)
- Traffic lights. Section 25005 (that is the actual section numbers) has a long title, Strengthening mobility and revolutionizing transportation grant program, but a sharp acronym: SMART. Its aim is even more relatable, which is to modernize traffic signals, help cities tackle congestion and basically make the roadways more efficient. So yes, this bill even wants to fix your traffic lights. This was championed by Republican Sen. Mitt Romney ofUtah, another member of the bipartisan G10.
- Tunnels for turtles. Or perhaps an underpass for otters. Maybe a bridge for a bear. Nestled inside the bipartisan deal is $350 million for a pilot program for “wildlife crossings.” This section, on page 34, is short but significant. Long have Congress and the federal government been criticized for funding things like animal crossings, which are perceived to be frivolous. But as we found out while interviewing an actual turtle tunnel operator, those stories are more complex and captivating than you might expect. (Disclosure: The examples are theoretical here. We don’t think anyone is proposing a bridge for bears. But who knows?)
- Finishing the Appalachian Highway System. The bill provides funding potentially to complete the Appalachian Highway System, a network of roads and bridges begun in 1965 to connect some of the most rural and hard-to-reach parts of the states across Appalachia. The project has consistently gained ground but the remaining parts are the most difficult and expensive and, as such, have waited the longest for funding.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Saher Khan, @sahermkhan
Politics Producer
What Philadelphia Reveals About America’s Homicide Surge - July 30. The nationwide homicide rate jumped by 25 percent during the pandemic and cities like Philadelphia that had once successfully combated city gun violence are struggling to figure out what went wrong. Why it matters: Families in cities across the country face growing violence while city officials struggle to find ways to curb crime in a post-pandemic world. -- ProPublica
With school openings near, parents and teachers say state leaders have stripped them of weapons against COVID-19 - July 30. The emergence of the delta variant has Texas parents concerned and pushing for mask mandates before children go back to school later this month. Why it matters: Millions of families across the country face tough decisions about sending kids back to schools while city and local officials struggle to figure out rules around masking as the CDC continues to change its own guidelines. -- Texas Tribune
Long Drives, Costly Flights, And Wearying Waits: What Abortion Requires In The South - Aug. 2. A rise in abortion restrictions throughout the South has women crossing state lines in search of reproductive services. Why it matters: State legislatures have become the battleground for abortion legislation, sparking Supreme Court arguments this fall, which could reaffirm or recast current standards that make the procedure legal. -- NPR
Next test of Trump’s influence on the Republican Party: A crowded GOP primary fight for an Ohio House seat - Aug. 2. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed a candidate in the dense Republican Congressional primary outside Columbus, Ohio. Why it matters: Regardless of whether this candidate wins, Trump’s endorsement is an early test of his influence on the 2022 election cycle. -- The Washington Post
How a Liberal Michigan Town Is Putting Mental Illness at the Center of Police Reform - July 30. Washtenaw County, Michigan, is launching a program to disentangle people with mental health issues from the criminal legal system by replacing or supplementing police response with trained community clinicians. Why it matters: The Michigan program is a potential model for police reform in the midst of national efforts to find solutions to inequities and use of force issues in policing. -- Politico
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch
Politics producer
On this day in 1923, President Calvin Coolidge placed his hand on his family bible and was sworn into office in his Vermont home following the sudden death of his predecessor, Warren Harding. The oath, administered by the light of a kerosene lamp in the wee hours of the morning, was the first and only incident in history where a relative swore in a president.
Our question: Who originally conducted the oath of office for President Coolidge?
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: How many days did the Benghazi committee exist before its final report was entered into the Congressional record?
The correct answer: 944 days.
The special committee to investigate the attack in Benghazi was established by the House of Representatives on May 8, 2014, and the final report entered the congressional record on December 7, 2016. The 800-page document cost $7 million in taxpayer funds - making it one of the costliest committee investigations in history. If the Jan. 6 committee follows that timeline, its final report wouldn't come out until January 30, 2024.
It looks like we stumped the crowd with this one. But we did have a very close guess of 950, from reader Barry Weinstein.
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
