Sen. Mike Crapo explains his support for federal infrastructure and jobs bill for Idaho
Senators on both sides of the aisle have long agreed on the need to modernize and expand hard infrastructure, and infrastructure investments have traditionally been accomplished through bipartisanship and regular order.
Traditional, hard infrastructure investments include funding of roads and bridges, transit, rail, airports, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, ports and inland waterways, water storage and broadband infrastructure.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act focuses on those core elements.
We must keep pace with Idaho’s rapid growth. Estimates indicate Idaho has more than 1,000 miles of highway in poor condition. According to the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Infrastructure Report Card, Idaho currently has 286 bridges considered to be “structurally deficient.” Further, the severity of wildfires makes clear we cannot let up in working to ensure firefighters and land management agencies have the resources necessary to prepare for wildfire response and reduce the threat of wildfires.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes priorities to help ease these and other challenges in Idaho:
Idaho roads and highways: Authorizes $1.9 billion for Idaho to construct, rebuild and maintain its roads and highways.
Idaho water projects: Authorizes $213 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in Idaho and includes funding for Bureau of Reclamation water storage, groundwater and conveyance projects in Idaho that include water storage for the Boise River Project.
Idaho airports: $25 billion nationwide for additional airport improvement projects, such as assistance with expansions, planning, runway rebuilding and improvements, lighting and air navigation facilities. This is in addition to $13 million in federal Airport Improvement Program grants the Federal Aviation Administration announced for Idaho’s airports earlier this year.
Idaho bridges: $225 million for bridge construction, maintenance and repair in Idaho.
Idaho wildfire risk reduction: More than $3.3 billion available for Idaho and other states for wildland firefighting efforts and an additional $5.75 billion nationwide for natural resources infrastructure, including fire management and reduction.
Idaho counties: A three-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program, through fiscal year 2023.
Idaho’s nuclear leadership: Infrastructure planning for small modular reactors and micro reactors is included. The bill also includes a civil nuclear grant program based on legislation I am working to advance this Congress to help empower the long-term viability of our nation’s diverse energy portfolio and further facilitate our nuclear competitiveness.
Idaho connectivity: $100 million for broadband expansion in Idaho, with extra funding based on maps created by legislation I helped enact, which show where additional broadband is most needed.
Reduces federal overregulation: Reforms the permitting process to speed construction projects.
These are just some of the many provisions Idaho would benefits from in this legislation.
It does not raise taxes. It reprioritizes the use of certain unused COVID-relief funds from bailouts and idle funds, shifting them toward supply-side investments that will provide benefits to Idahoans for many years.
Because this infrastructure spending focuses on long-term productivity rather than near-term demand, it will not be inflationary. In fact, it will counteract the inflationary pressures we are seeing as a result of excessive spending. This is especially critical right now, as rising prices impact families and small businesses across America. We were successful in keeping out of this bill changes to states’ right-to-work status and increased funding for the Internal Revenue Service.
This bipartisan investment in our nation’s essential infrastructure needs is far different from my Democrat colleagues’ partisan $3.5 trillion uncontrolled tax-and-spend proposals. I will continue to fight against this kind of partisan, irresponsible spending. We should instead build on time-proven, pro-growth policies, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, not reversing them to fund a reckless spending spree.