Mitch Landrieu, the federal government’s senior adviser responsible for coordinating implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, sent letters to all the nation’s governors urging them to appoint their own infrastructure implementation coordinators to smooth the rollout of the $1.2 trillion law.
“We know that needs, capacity and challenges can vary widely by locality,” the letter reads. “We need to make sure our programs reflect these realities across your state and our country, and having a senior, single point of contact in your office will help ensure that issues get elevated appropriately and rapidly.”
Landrieu suggested governors could create their own infrastructure task forces – modeled after the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force created by President Biden in November – to help integrate all aspects of the implementation process. The President’s task force is co-chaired by Landrieu, who is the former mayor of New Orleans; and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese.
- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, has already created his own Infrastructure Planning Advisory Committee and appointed a chairman. The committee is tasked with making recommendations to the governor on best uses of the funding available to Arkansas.
- New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has also appointed a new infrastructure adviser to the state. The new infrastructure adviser is focused on determining priorities for the billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding.
Implementation of the roughly $1 trillion law is a top priority of the White House ahead of this year’s midterm elections.