The Biden administration has expressed its support for a $1.2 trillion framework that seeks to make investments in transportation, power, broadband and water infrastructure while building resilience to climate change.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework intends to establish a network of electric vehicle chargers, expand rail and transit networks across the U.S., create an infrastructure financing authority and prepare the country’s infrastructure for impacts of extreme weather conditions and cyberattacks, according to a White House fact sheet released Thursday.
The plan would earmark $312 billion for transportation, including EV chargers, roads, bridges and public transit, and $266 billion for other infrastructure, including power, water and broadband networks.
The framework also proposes measures to finance infrastructure investments. These include reducing the IRS tax gap, redirecting unused unemployment insurance relief funds, extending expiring customer user fees, allowing states to sell or buy unused toll credits for infrastructure and repurposing unused relief funds from 2020 emergency relief legislation.
“President Biden remains committed to the comprehensive agenda laid out in the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan,” the White House document reads. “He will work with Congress to build on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework in legislation that moves in tandem, and he is encouraged that both the House and Senate are working on budget plans that would do so.”
If you're interested to know about the national security implications of climate change and how data analytics can inform agencies’ climate adaptation strategies, then check out the Potomac Officers Club's Bolstering Climate Resilience for National Security Forum coming up on Sept. 14. To register for this forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page.