After months of intensive negotiations, the US President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill was signed into law on the afternoon of November 15.
Analysts called the promulgation of the bill the greatest achievement in the first year of the White House. Biden himself said at the signing ceremony held on the South Lawn of the White House: “The law I will sign has extremely far-reaching significance. Because we have brought democracy to the American people.”
However, when it comes to how to allocate the $550 billion in new federal funds required by the bill, we still need to wait a long time. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has not yet indicated when he will transfer the money to the government, or how the money will affect the December 3 debt ceiling deadline. Nevertheless, Biden has appointed New Orleans Democratic Mayor Mitch Landrio to be responsible for the allocation of the funds.
Landrio will serve as Biden’s senior adviser, with the title of infrastructure coordinator. He will ensure the reasonable allocation of funds and use it for the construction and upgrade of roads, bridges, broadband and other infrastructure projects in the next few years, while ensuring that these projects can be carried out on schedule.
The White House stated in a statement on the evening of November 14: “After assuming this position, Landrio will be responsible for the most important and comprehensive investment in the U.S. infrastructure sector in decades. Independent experts believe that these tasks will Bringing millions of high-paying union jobs will also boost America’s global economic competitiveness, consolidate the supply chain, and deal with inflation from a long-term perspective.”
On November 14, Landrio issued a statement himself, stating that he would work with the leaders of the state sector, the private sector, and labor organizations to ensure that funds can be used wisely.
Landrio served as the mayor of New Orleans in 2010 and led the city in organizing the post-disaster reconstruction work after Hurricane Katrina and BP crude oil spilled.
The White House said: “He actively prepared and quickly followed up more than 100 projects, and obtained tens of billions of dollars in federal funds for roads, schools, parks, and critical infrastructure, making New Orleans a model of post-disaster reconstruction in the United States. one.”
Landrio was also the lieutenant governor of Louisiana. He was born into a political family (his father was the mayor of New Orleans and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of the United States, and his sister was a senator), And because of its ability to break the political deadlock and get things done, it is respected by Republicans and Democrats.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana pointed out in a statement that Landrio is the ideal candidate to implement the bill.
Cassidy said: “Mickey Landrio has a first-hand experience of Hurricane Katrina’s damage to the Gulf Coast. In turn, this damage has shown to Louisiana and the United States.[基础设施法案]The importance of investment for the restoration of coastal areas. “
This position will make the 61-year-old Landrio a focal point in the United States, and will lay the foundation for his future elections in state agencies.
Biden has not forgotten to mention that he had done a job similar to that of Landrio. At that time, he served as the vice president in the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama and was responsible for coordinating with the 2009 Recovery Act (Recovery Act). Act) related to 787 billion US dollars in economic stimulus spending.
Biden told reporters last week: “Every day I pay special attention to how the money is spent, which projects have been built, which projects have not been repaired, and how the plan works. We need to be accountable to the American people. Make sure that the infrastructure plan and the “Build Back Better” program (Build Back Better) can be spent where they should be spent. However, I hope that the “Build Back Better” program can still be successfully completed.” (Fortune Chinese Network)
Translator: Feng Feng
Reviewer: Xia Lin
After months of tense negotiations, President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill was signed into law on November 15 afternoon.
“I am signing a law that is truly consequential, because we made our democracy deliver for the people,” said Biden, marking what analysts are calling the crowning achievement of his first year in office at a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
Still, much remains to be seen about the allocation of the $550 billion in new federal funds that the bill calls for. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has not yet indicated when she plans to transfer the money to the government or what it means for the Dec. 3 debt ceiling deadline. Biden did, however, name former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat, to oversee the allocation of said funds.
Landrieu will take on the role of senior adviser to Biden, with the title of infrastructure coordinator. He will make sure that the correct allocation of funding goes to create and upgrade roads, bridges, broadband, and other infrastructure projects over the next few years, and that projects remain on track.
“In this role, Landrieu will oversee the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations—work that independent experts verify will create millions of high-paying, union jobs while boosting our economic competitiveness in the world, strengthening our supply chains, and acting against inflation for the long term,” the White House said in a statement on November 14 evening.
In a statement of his own on November 14, Landrieu said he would work with state leaders, the private sector, and labor organizations to ensure that the appropriated money will be well spent.
Landrieu became mayor of New Orleans in 2010, and led the city through the recovery from both Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.
“He hit the ground running, fast-tracking over 100 projects and securing billions in federal funding for roads, schools, hospitals, parks, and critical infrastructure, turning New Orleans into one of America’s great comeback stories,” the White House said.
Landrieu, who also served as lieutenant governor of Louisiana, hails from a political dynasty (his father was mayor of New Orleans and secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and his sister is a former senator) and is typically respected by Republicans and Democrats alike as someone who is able to avoid political stalemates and get things done.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, said in a statement that Landrieu was a great choice to oversee the implementation of the bill.
“Mitch Landrieu knows firsthand the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused on the Gulf Coast,” Cassidy said, “and in turn, this devastation shows the importance, for Louisiana and the United States, of the investments the [infrastructure bill] makes in coastal restoration.”
This role will propel Landrieu, 61, into the national spotlight and set the stage for a run for national office.
Biden made sure to point out that he had a job similar to Landrieu’s while he served as vice president to President Barack Obama and oversaw $787 billion in stimulus spending associated with the 2009 Recovery Act.
“I made it a point every day to stay on top of how exactly the money was spent, what projects were being built, what projects were not being built, and how it was functioning,” Biden told reporters last week. “We owe it to the American people to make sure the money in this infrastructure plan and the Build Back Better plan—which, God willing, we’re going to be able to still finish—will be able to be used for purposes it was intended.”