Infrastructure and Resilience: Forging a National Strategy for Reconstruction and Growth

7/28/2019 Infrastructure and Resilience: Forging a National Strategy for Reconstruction and Growth

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1 Center or American Progress | Inrastructure and Resilience: Forging a National Strategy or Reconstruction and Growth

Infrastructure and Resilience:

Forging a National Strategy forReconstruction and GrowthBracken Hendricks, Cathleen Kelly, and Adam James April 18, 2013

America has begun the hard work o rebuilding our inastructure. We need to repair

our existing inastructure, and invest in the inastructure o tomorrow including high-

speed rail, high-tech schools, and power grids that are resilient to uture extreme condi-

tions. President Barack Obama, in his proposed scal year 2014 budget1

Wih hese words, Presiden Obama las week pu orward his FY 2014 budge plan,

which included a hisoric pairing o issues ha deserve careul atenion: inrasrucure

and resilience. wo o he lynchpin proposals unveiled in he presidens larger budge

blueprin were a major new program or inrasrucure reconsrucion and a plan or

improving he resilience o American communiies in a rapidly changing global climae.

Te linking o hese wo issues is essenial o addressing perhaps he greaes challenge

acing he U.S. economy and Americas compeiive ooing in a generaion: reooling

he inrasrucure o he U.S. economy o operae on clean energy sysems capable o

avering he wors damage resuling rom global climae change.

As he adminisraion is geting o work deending he principles wihin he presidens

proposals, anoher noeworhy even is aking place his week in Washingon, D.C.:

Former Presiden Bill Clinon and a group o he naions leading mayors will mee wih

he U.S. Chamber o Commerce, he AFL-CIO, and oher privae-secor leaders o dis-

cuss in deail how local governmens are already moving orward on his challenge, and

discuss ways o drive privae-secor invesmen ino he publicly benecial inrasrucure

underpinning our economy.

Te Cener or American Progress has worked over several years o suppor he eors

o Presiden Clinon in leading he charge o orge a naional commimen o work

wih ciies as hey lead he modernizaion o U.S. inrasrucure and prepare or a

hos o new challenges inroduced by a changing climae. In suppor o boh o hese

eors, we oer here a proposal or acceleraing ederal eors o suppor communi-

ies as he naion rebuilds is inrasrucure. Tis plan will help place America a he

oreron o responding o hese linked challenges o our prosperiy, our climae, our

economic securiy, and our communiy well-being.


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Soluions are emerging o mee his challenge, boh in he ongoing work o he Obama

adminisraion and in he leadership o he naions mayors. In his paper we explore

how o ransorm hese imporan building blocks ino a comprehensive naional sra-

egy or modernizing and reinvesing in he naions sraegic inrasrucure. Any such

naional sraegy mus accomplish hree key asks:

Improving inrasrucure planning and making high-qualiy inormaion abou climaechange and resiliency more usable or decision makers

Increasing he ow o capial resources rom boh he public and privae secors ino hose

inrasrucure projecs ha are ruly needed or naional securiy and economic growh

Meeing implemenaion challenges by eecively linking ederal, sae, local, and

privae eors so as o ensure ha projecs are buil eecively and ecienly on he

ground in communiies naionwide

All hree o hese elemens are essenial o eecively engaging all pars o he ederalgovernmen in service o he on-he-ground needs o mayors and governors leading he

charge in implemening he nex generaion o sraegic inrasrucure invesmens. Te

presiden rs oulined his proposals o upgrade he naions inrasrucure in his Sae

o he Union address his year and more recenly expanded on i in a speech in Miami,

Florida.2 In his remarks, he presiden described his vision or a parnership o rebuild

America ha would modernize he naions crumbling inrasrucure, creae new jobs,

and drive economic growhsaring wih a Por o Miami upgrade projec, nanced

by $2 billion in public and privae invesmens. Te parnership would esablish an

independen und o ecienly channel privae capial ino projecs wih high economic

reurns. I would also creae America Fas Forward bonds ha allow municipaliies oissue axable securiies and would expand ederal loans o help mayors and governors

enice and leverage privae invesmens in inrasrucure upgrades.

Presiden Obama has also called or a x-i-rs approach o inrasrucure.3 Tis would

arge $40 billion in ederal unds oward he mos urgen inrasrucure upgrades. Tis

approach is also ailored o include policies designed o draw privae-secor invesmens

ino sae-o-he ar pors, roads, energy sysems, schools, and oher inrasrucure ha

businesses rely on o ship heir producs and increase heir economic compeiiveness.

In his Sae o he Union address, he presiden acknowledged ha, For he sake o our

children and our uure, we mus do more o comba climae change.4 He challenged

Congress o ac o address he issue o global warming, and direced his cabine o iden-

iy execuive acions ha could reduce polluion and prepare our communiies or he

consequences o climae change. Te adminisraion has aken several execuive acions

already, including announcing boh hisoric new uel-economy sandards and seting

new goals or indusrial eciency.5 By direcly linking his objecive o responding o he


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challenge o climae change o his second-erm commimen o osering a new wave o

invesmen in sraegic inrasrucure, he presiden can signicanly ampliy his eec-

iveness in boh areas.

Te presidens dual prioriies o boh repair our deerioraing inrasrucure and

develop soluions o climae change are direcly relaed. I he wo are more explicily

linked hrough a well-designed naional inrasrucure-resilience sraegy, hey oer hecorrec approach o boh speed up he ongoing economic recovery and build a beter,

more resilien uure.

Such a comprehensive naional sraegy would have several key benes. Firs, by uiliz-

ing he proven convening power o he Execuive Oce o he Presiden, exemplied

by he Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding ask Force, he Obama adminisraion can susain

ederal engagemen and momenum on improving invesmens in he srengh and

resilience o our naions inrasrucure. Second, he adminisraion can ake advanage

o he rare biparisanship ha exiss a he sae and local level in meeing inrasrucure

needs and, in doing so, can creae a signican number o new American jobs. Tird, heprocess o creaing an assessmen, marshaling srong incenives or privae invesmen,

and ensuring ineragency coordinaion in suppor o he work o mayors and governors

will oser good governmen even as i posiions public insiuions o beter proec

ciizens rom he growing impacs o climae change. Finally, his process will allow he

naion o move orward in esablishing a concree long-erm sraegy or boh reducing

he impacs o climae change and adaping o is eecs ha canno be avoided. Tese

invesmens can be made in a manner ha boh simulaes economic growh and allows

he economy o become increasingly resilien o a much broader range o hreas o

naional and economic securiy.

In his brie, we argue ha he presiden mus advance his new inrasrucure iniia-

ives and invesmen goals in he conex o he public healh and saey risks o climae

change. Tis will enable he Unied Saes o coninue creaing jobs and supporing

long-erm economic growh, while beter equipping our communiies and inrasrucure

o wihsand he growing risks o exreme weaher and climae change. I done correcly,

reinvesing in he public inrasrucure ha orms he backbone o U.S. economic com-

peiiveness will simulae privae-secor invesmen, and beter posiion U.S. businesses

and employees o succeed in a changing global economy by making U.S. communiies

more compeiive and ecien places o do business. Tese same invesmens, i made

wisely, will simulaneously make communiies more resilien o climae change and

reduce vulnerabiliy o polluion rom ossil uels. While we can sop exreme-weaher

evens rom happening, we can reduce he resuling economic damage and public-healh

risks by invesing in beter, more resilien inrasrucure.

Because inrasrucure planning and consrucion operae on long-invesmen cycles,

ailing o ac now will undermine U.S. compeiiveness well ino he uure. Americas


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abiliy o successully curb carbon polluion o preven dangerous levels o climae

change and build resilience o unavoidable climae impacs is rooed in he invesmen

decisions we will make in he nex 5 o 10 years. Tose plans are on he drawing board

oday. Tis is he momen or acion o ensure ha Americas inrasrucure is buil o

wihsand a changing climae and o drive economic growh well ino he uure. Te

presidens leadership could prove o be his longes-lasing legacy or uure generaions.

It is time for a national strategy for infrastructure resilience

Tere are hree pars o orming a naional sraegy or inrasrucure resilience. Firs,

he ederal governmen should launch a naional inrasrucure-vulnerabiliy assessmen

ha evaluaes he abiliy o he naions curren inrasrucure o wihsand climae-

relaed exreme weaher. Second, he Obama adminisraion should build on he

proposals laid ou in is FY 2014 budge and harmonize nancial resources o inves in

hese resiliency projecs in a coordinaed way. Tird, he adminisraion should elevae

resiliency as a prioriy by asking cabine-level ocials o work sysemaically wih ciiesand saes in direcing hese resources.

Tree monhs afer he devasaion o Supersorm Sandy, Congress approved a $61

billion disaser-relie and recovery-assisance package, enabling he ederal governmen,

ciies, saes, and businesses in New Jersey, New York, and Connecicu o make criical

decisions on how o direc he invesmens ha will rebuild communiies and inrasruc-

ure.6 On an even larger scaleand no as a resul o exreme-weaher damagegovern-

mens and he privae secor are conemplaing similar long-erm invesmen decisions

o upgrade our inrasrucure naionwide.

Wihou a coheren naional sraegy o reduce inrasrucure vulnerabiliy o climae

change, we risk pouring money ino expensive projecs ha will deeriorae well beore

heir inended liespan, which only sands o make ederal unding or disaser relie

more expensive. For his reason, i is more essenial han ever ha he ederal gov-

ernmen ighly link is work on inrasrucure invesmen as an engine o economic

prosperiy wih he expanding prioriy i has placed on resilience in response o our

increasing vulnerabiliy in he ace o a changing climae.

Forunaely, exising laws provide he adminisraion wih many o he needed ools and

legal auhoriies o ackle his challenge. Building on recen Whie House inrasrucure

iniiaives and proposals, we recommend ha he presiden, Congress, mayors, and gov-

ernors work ogeher o make an immediae commimen o design a naional sraegy

or inrasrucure resilience. As we explain below, such a plan is essenial o enhancing

our naions compeiiveness while reducing he real and growing risks o climae change

o he healh, saey, and livelihoods o he American people.


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o realize his plan, he presiden should ac immediaely o:

1. Launch a national infrastructure-vulnerability assessment: Improve he availabiliy

and usabiliy o inormaion on inrasrucure needs and resilience. I would look

sysemaically a he abiliy o U.S. ransporaion, energy, waer, communicaions,

and oher sraegic inrasrucure o hold up o boh curren and uure hreas.

2. Establish a comprehensive federal infrastructure-investment strategy: Tis would

build on recen commimens in he adminisraions budge plan, and would boh

access new nancial ools and beter harmonize exising nancing auhoriies wihin

he ederal governmen o more eecively leverage public and privae capial in

prioriy-inrasrucure invesmens.

3. Create an infrastructure and resilience council:Te council would uncion as a

working group wihin he presidens own cabine o suppor presidenial leadership

in improving coordinaion across all ederal agencies and in parnering wih ciies and

saes o accelerae he developmen o hese prioriy-resilience projecs by increasingpublic and privae invesmen.

Presiden Obama has already aken imporan seps o lay he oundaion or a naional

inrasrucure-resilience plan. In Execuive Order 13514, signed ino eec in Ocober

2009, he presiden called on agencies o evaluae agency climae-change risks and

vulnerabiliies o manage he eecs o climae change on he agencys operaions and

mission in boh he shor and long erm.7 Since 2009 he Ineragency Climae Change

Adapaion ask Forceled by he Whie Houses Council on Environmenal Qualiy,

he Naional Oceanic and Amospheric Adminisraion, and he Oce o Science and

echnology Policyhas been coordinaing ederal acions o reduce climae-changerisks o ederal asses and communiies.8

In February 2013 execuive agencies released heir plans o begin adaping o climae

change. Addiionally, he adminisraion has already adoped naional-acion plans

overseen by he Environmenal Proecion Agency o saeguard our oceans,resh waer,

and sh, wildlie, and plans rom he wors impacs o climae change.9 Tough agencies

have ye o develop a naional resilience sraegy or public inrasrucure, Execuive Order

13514 and he real rising risks o climae change give hem he clear auhoriy o do so.

Below, we walk hrough he business benes o invesing in inrasrucure beore scop-

ing he unique challenges presened by climae change and deailing he core aspecs o

a naional inrasrucure plan o address hem.


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The business case for infrastructure investments

Growing he economy and ghing climae change, ar rom conicing, are muually

reinorcing prioriies. Even wihou looking a he coss o climae-change impacs on

our naions inrasrucure, here is a srong business case or making hese invesmens.

Americas inrasrucure is in urgen need o repair and reinvesmen, creaing a drag on he

economy due o rac congesion, ineciency and delay in air ravel and he movemen oreigh, and periodic economic disrupions rom blackous and avoidable sorm damage.

As he American Sociey or Civil Engineers noes:

For the U.S. economy to be the most competitive in the world, we need a rst class

inastructure systemtransport systems that move people and goods efciently and at

reasonable cost by land, water, and air; transmission systems that deliver reliable, low-

cost power om a wide range o energy sources; and water systems that drive industrial

processes as well as the daily unctions in our homes. Yet today, our inastructure

systems are ailing to keep pace with the current and expanding needs, and investmentin inastructure is altering.10

As bu one indicaor o he overall disrepair prevalen in our inrasrucure, nearly

70,000 bridges around he counry have been deemed srucurally decien, according

o recen analysis done by he American Sociey o Civil Engineershis coming nearly

six years afer he disasrous bridge collapse in Minneapolis in 2007 ha ook 13 lives.11

o be sure, he adminisraion has made major commimens o inrasrucure reinves-

men already, leveraging more han $181 billion in new inrasrucure invesmen hrough

Build America Bonds, direc ederal subsidies ha ose a porion o borrowing coss onaxable bonds. Tese bonds encourage invesmen by allowing sae and local governmens

o incur lower ne-borrowing coss.12 Te adminisraion has overseen he reconsrucion

o more han 350,000 miles o roadways, more han 6,000 miles o railways, and more han

20,000 bridges.13 Ye he gap beween wha Congress has budgeed o spend on upgrading

public inrasrucure and wha is needed o address he dangerous disrepair prevalen in

our naion has risen o $129 billion per year.14 According o he American Sociey o Civil

Engineers, wihou a down paymen on his balance o a leas $157 billion annually, he

naion will lose $3.1 rillion in gross naional produc and $1.1 rillion in radea $3,100

annual drop in personal income per capia, and a $2.4 rillion all in consumer spending

all while he naion hemorrhages up o 3.1 million jobs.15

Hisorically low ineres raes and disproporionaely high unemploymen among

consrucion workers16 ogeher mean ha borrowing money and hiring workers o

ake on hese urgenly needed projecs have never been easier or more cos eecive.

Tese projecs will pu Americans back o work while making he overall economy

more ecien. Furher, in an era o ighening public budges, governmen invesmens


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in inrasrucure increasingly mus be underaken by leveraging privae capial and by

using public dollars or guaranees sraegically o reduce he nancial risk o underaking

hese projecs and o lower heir coss. For all o hese reasons, i is he righ momen o

ake on he challenge o rebuilding Americas inrasrucure and o develop a sraegic

approach ha ully engages he privae secor and capial markes in ensuring ha his

generaion o invesmen is made in a way ha secures he greaes long-erm benes.

Climate-change impacts are straining American infrastructure

Climae change will lead o increasingly more requen, erraic, and severe exreme-

weaher evens.17 In 2011 and 2012 alone, here were 25 climae-relaed exreme-

weaher evens ha each caused abou $1 billion in economic damages.18 Supersorm

Sandy, which made landall in Ocober 2012, especially exposed he remendous

vulnerabiliy o American inrasrucure o inensied climae-change impacs.19 Climae

disrupion presens a diverse range o hreas, rom sea-level rise o more requen and

severe sorms, droughs, and wildres, o oods and siing hea waves. Tese evenswill srain U.S. inrasrucure capaciy, unnecessarily burden he economy, and hreaen

public healh and saey in every region o he counry.20

Suggesing we make our naions inrasrucure more resilien o climae change does no

mean ha we should give up on eors o reduce our naions carbon polluion. o he

conrary, he naion needs leadership now more han ever o reduce he carbon emis-

sions responsible or climae change, or we will experience more requen and severe

exreme-weaher evens.

As global emperaures rise, ciies, saes, and he ederal governmen will have o playa bigger roleincluding helping o pick up a skyrockeing abin assising communi-

ies o recover rom debiliaing sorms, droughs, and oher exreme-weaher evens.21

Tis proposal lays ou a sraegy o clearly dene ha role, while inegraing i ino he

core planning and budge aciviies o ederal, sae, and local governmens along wih

privae-secor invesors as a normal par o doing business in he ace o known climae

hreas.22 As he Naional Climae Assessmen blunly pu i, Tere is mouning evi-

dence ha he coss o he naion are already high and will increase very subsanially in

he uure unless global emissions o hea-rapping gases are srongly reduced.23

Pos-Sandy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) acknowledged he vulnerabiliy o uure

climae impacs o some coasal homes and businesses damaged in he sorm. Te sae

has proposed o buy ou propery owners who agree no o rebuild in hese once sae

bu now vulnerable places.24

An analysis by CAP deermined ha exreme weaher rom climae change dispro-

porionaely aecs lower- and middle-income households, and adapive planning


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wihou addressing his realiy will only exacerbae economic inequiies.25 On he oher

hand, he sudy ound ha aking on a sysemic approach o reducing vulnerabiliy can

broadly bene Americans a every rung on he economic ladder. Tis realiy o new

coss and rising vulnerabiliies is unorunaely he new normal and i will ge much

worse beore i ges beter. America mus ac now.

America needs a national infrastructure-resilience plan

Eors o build beter, more resilien inrasrucure have oo ofen hisorically been ham-

srung by unding shoralls, policy and legal barriers, and poor access o reliable inor-

maion abou local climae-change risks. o knock down hese impedimens, Presiden

Obama already made imporan proposals in is budge package. Moving orward and

working wih Congress, he adminisraion should iniiae an acion plan ha marshals

ederal resources and echnical suppor wisely, helps ciies and saes undersand heir

inrasrucure vulnerabiliies and ideniy heir prioriy upgrades, and incenivizes

privae-secor invesmen o rapidly drive a major wave o producive new invesmens.

An eecive sraegy o improve Americas inrasrucure mus ake seps in hree

essenial areas.

Launch a national infrastructure-vulnerability assessment: I mus improve planning

and make high-qualiy inormaion more usable o decision makers.

Establish a comprehensive federal infrastructure-investment strategy: I mus

increase he ow o capial resources rom boh he public and privae secor ino

hose projecs ha are ruly needed or naional securiy and economic growh.

Create an infrastructure and resilience council: I mus mee implemenaion chal-

lenges by eecively linking ederal, sae, local, and privae eors o ensure ha

projecs are buil eecively and ecienly on he ground in communiies.

Below we ouline he core elemens o such a successul naional sraegy or inrasruc-

ure resilience.

Launch a national infrastructure-vulnerability assessment

Te Obama adminisraion mus conduc a single comprehensive assessmen o our

naions inrasrucure. Tis survey would link he inormaion ha already exiss

wihin he agencies so i would look sysemaically a he needs and vulnerabiliy

o U.S. ransporaion, elecriciy, waer, pors, and oher sraegic inrasrucure

and ideniy pressing inrasrucure needs naionwide. Te survey would hen help


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he adminisraion develop a sraegy o promoe ecien and rapid deploymen o

advanced inrasrucure a he naional level and, in each individual case, creae new

inrasrucure sysems wih an eye oward wha is mos vulnerable o more exreme

weaher and oher emerging climae-change impacs. Tis assessmen is essenial o

ideniying prioriies or increasing he resilience o hese economic asses o uure

sorms, oods, droughs, and wildres.

Te U.S. Deparmen o ransporaion compleed a sudy o climae risks o ranspora-

ion inrasrucure in he Gul Coas and launched a similar sudy or Mobile, Alabama,

where communiies and criical inrasrucure were pounded byHurricane Karina in2005 and a severe ornado in 2012.26 Te Gul Coas sudy revealed ha more han hal

o he Gul regions major highways, almos hal o he rail miles, and virually all o he

pors ace increased risk o ooding and damage rom more inense sorms and sea-

level rise. Tese assessmens are an imporan rs sep in oulining our mos pressing

inrasrucure-repair needs, bu governmens, communiies, and privae invesors need

a beter, more comprehensive picure o how climae change hreaens he long-erm

sabiliy o our naions inrasrucure.

Te presiden should immediaely call on all agencies o work wih sae and local

leaders o iniiae a naional inrasrucure assessmen under he leadership o he

U.S. Deparmen o Homeland Securiy, he Naional Oceanic and Amospheric

Adminisraion, or NOAA, and he Army Corps o Engineers. Tese agencies should

also engage he resources and experise o he Deparmen o ransporaion, he

Deparmen o Energy, he Deparmen o Housing and Urban Developmen, he

Deparmen o Deense, Deparmen o Agriculure, he Council on Environmenal

Qualiy, and he Whie House Oce on Science and echnology Policy, among oher

agencies, in service o beter local-hrea characerizaion and resilience planning.

Tis assessmen should be conduced in close parnership wih saes and local govern-

mens and repored o he presiden and vice presiden wihin six monhs o is iniia-

ion. Tis eor would help ciy and sae ocials and privae-secor invesors o beter

undersand how climae change is hreaening exising and planned inrasrucure and

would enable idenicaion o he mos urgen upgrade invesmens. Tis assessmen

would help inorm he creaion o comprehensive plans or inrasrucure reconsruc-

ion and resilience, which ederal agencies and sae and local governmens should col-

laborae direcly o develop, and mus be driven by communiies naionwide.27

Build on the budget proposals to establish a comprehensive federal-

infrastructure-investment strategy

In his budge, he presiden laid ou several vially imporan nancing programs ha

ogeher could serve as key building blocks in esablishing an even more sysemaic


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and comprehensive nancial oundaion o ensure ecien ows o boh public and

privae capial ino urgenly needed inrasrucure upgrades. I is now incumben upon

Congress o pass hese vial measures.

Firs, he presiden renewed his call or he esablishmen o a naional inrasrucure

bank, an idea ha was originally inroduced o he 112h Congress in he Building

and Upgrading Inrasrucure or Long-erm Developmen Ac by Sens. John Kerry(D-MA) and Kay Bailey Huchinson (R-X), bu which died in commitee.28 Tis

is a wise policy suggesion ha would have a powerul impac in supporing pressing

inrasrucure projecs o boh naional and regional signicance. Realizing he goal

o launching an inrasrucure bank will require congressional acion, and hough his

proposal is essenial over he long erm, curren poliical realiies presen signican

challenges o is passage.

Second, he presidens budge called or he esablishmen o America Fas Forward

Bonds. Tis new ool would build on he highly successul experience o he Build

America Bonds unded by he American Recovery and Reinvesmen Ac, which success-ully leveraged invesmen o more han $92 billion o new ederal, sae, local, and privae

invesmen ino badly needed physical-inrasrucure upgrades in environmenal, rans-

poraion, and uiliies projecs, wih an addiional $89 billion in social spending, covering

relaed invesmens in educaion, healh care, public saey, and housing.29 America Fas

Forward Bonds would build upon his example o include addiional orms o privae-

aciviy bonds and would esablish a dedicaed pool o bonding auhoriy o suppor sae

and local school consrucion. In addiion, changes o he Foreign Invesmen in Real

Propery ax Ac would change he ax reamen or oreign invesmen in real propery

in he Unied Saes, which imposes income axes on nonresidens who inves in American

propery, o creae new incenives ha bring low-cos global capial back ino job-creaingdomesic invesmens. Doing so would leverage he pension-und invesmens o reired

American workers o build a new generaion o job-creaing inrasrucure.

Tird, he presidens budge highlighs he expansion o he highly successul

ransporaion Inrasrucure Finance and Innovaion Ac, or IFIA, loan program.

Tis program provides ederal credi assisance such as direc loans, loan guaranees, and

credi lines o nance ransporaion projecs, and i received an eighold increase in

he recen reauhorizaion o he surace-ransporaion bill.30 IFIA has been a power-

ul ool or encouraging more innovaive and cos-eecive nancing sraegies or local

governmens o engage privae capial in new ways ino sraegically imporan public

projecs, boosing regional economies. Eecive implemenaion o IFIA invesmens

can be a cornersone o a broader program o reinvesmen in Americas inrasrucure.

o dae, however, he ederal governmens oal nancial auhoriy has oo ofen been

less han he sum o is pars. W hile many smaller programs exis across he ederal


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governmen o provide credi enhancemens, bonding auhoriies, or ax-credi inves-

mens, hese individual ools do no simulae a more srucured and sysemaic review

o how and wheher he ederal governmen is meeing is inrasrucure-invesmen

needs. Tese individual programs have cerainly had noable successes over he years in

advancing pressing purposes rom rural elecricaion and local economic developmen

o aordable-housing consrucion and small-business incubaion. Bu he ragmened

and limied naure o hese programs can oo ofen consrain public awareness andresric marke upake or wha could ulimaely be much more powerul ools or

accessing new privae-capial invesmen o advance imporan public purposes.

While Congress remains gridlocked on budge and invesmen issues and litle new

legislaive headway seems likely, he presiden should also call or a governmenwide

assessmen o he disparae nancing auhoriies ha are already a his disposal. A com-

prehensive assessmen o credi suppors and nancing programs already in exisence

across he governmen could help ensure ha he ull suie o nancial ools in each

agency are used in a much more sysemaic and coordinaed manner o nance inra-

srucure more comprehensively and wih beter planning. Furher, hese resources musbe made available o saes and ciies more eecively o allow hem o lead in imple-

mening he reconsrucion o heir inrasrucure.

Establish an infrastructure and resilience council to coordinate deployment efforts

By esablishing among his own cabine secrearies an inrasrucure and resilience coun-

cil o op-level agency leadership reporing direcly o he presiden and coordinaed by

he Naional Economic Council, he presiden could creae a mechanism or ensuring

accounabiliy and leadership in seeing hese planning and coordinaion eors hrougho implemenaion. Each agency would be insruced o ideniy new execuive acions

ha suppor inrasrucure modernizaion, and wherever discreion is allowed wihin

agency auhoriies, his body would prioriize and expedie hose eors oulined in he

naional inrasrucure-vulnerabiliy assessmen.

Tis ineragency eor would also provide addiional resources o suppor he admin-

israions eors o expedie he approval process or sraegically imporan inrasruc-

ure projecs, while preserving undamenal environmenal proecions. Tis would

advance he presidens goal o cuting imelines in hal or beter highways, bridges, rail-

ways, pors, waerways, pipelines, renewable energy, and oher inrasrucure projecs,

while ensuring resiliency in he ace o a changing climae.31 Trough his process, he

adminisraion can give hose saes and ciies ha wish o lead he charge he chance o

move aser and urher ahead. I uses he oversigh o he ederal governmen o help

ensure ha grassroos economic-developmen invesmens add up o a robus, resil-

ien, and sae-o-he-ar naional inrasrucure plaorm or he U.S. economy. Tose

jurisdicions ha wish o accelerae heir ocus on mapping local-prioriy inrasrucure


12/15


needs should be prioriized or supplemenal resources and ederal suppor wherever

resources and exising auhoriies allow.

Resource-consrained sae and local leaders ofen do no have access o he needed

inormaion regarding local and regional climae-change risks o help hem make

smar planning decisions and prioriize invesmens in adapaion and resilience

because he daa haven been made available concreely o he saes. Where eeciveools or mapping and nancing hese projecs exis wihin he ederal governmen,

oo ofen hey do no ler down o he poin o local decision making. Ineragency

coordinaion, hen, would bring o he oreron eors o make ederal daa ully

available and useul o local decision makers. Much daa have also already been col-

leced wihin he Naional Climae Assessmen, a projec underaken by 13 ederal

governmen agencies o communicae relevan inormaion abou climae-change

impacs o communiy decision makers.32 By oering unding and echnical suppor

o early movers, he ederal governmen can reward local leadership and oser innova-

ion. Te Whie House should work wih he Naional Governors Associaion, he

U.S. Conerence o Mayors, and similar groups o ensure ha his eor represens arue parnership wih a srong commimen o implemenaion.

A naional program o inrasrucure reconsrucion and modernizaion will neces-

sarily depend on close ederal and sae collaboraion. A new ederal sraegy will rely

on close working parnerships wih ciies and saes as hey implemen heir capial

budgeshe porion o a budge ha covers inrasrucureand develop heir own

long-erm inrasrucure plans separae rom ha o he adminisraion. Te presiden

should lead any naional sraegy or inrasrucure resilience by esablishing a ormal

coordinaing body o high-level agency ocials o work wih saes and localiies

no only wih key eleced ocials and he sae and regional oces o all ederalexecuive agencies, bu also wih sae regulaors hrough coordinaing bodies such

as he Naional Associaion o Regulaory Uiliy Commissioners, or NARUC. Tis

improved coordinaion will aciliae saes work as hey underake volunary resil-

iency assessmens paralleling ederal eors.

Conclusion

Presiden Obamas second-erm agenda akes an imporan leap in direcly linking a

renewed push or invesmen in job-creaing domesic inrasrucure wih a legacy ocus

on ensuring ha our nex generaion o inrasrucure is designed wih an eye oward

meeing a new wave o hreas and challenges o Americas economic resilience. Te

momen is upon us o choose eiher he high coss o ailing inrasrucure and a moun-

ing climae crisis or a more resilien and prosperous uure hrough well-planned and

argeed invesmens in producive inrasrucure.


13/15


Presiden Obama deserves praise or placing inrasrucure and resilience a he cener

o his second-erm agenda laid ou in his budge plan. Tis agenda will bes be advanced

hrough coordinaion o policies ha respond o he predicable impacs o climae

change along wih sraegies o improve planning, availabiliy o capial, and improved

organizaion o rebuilding he naions physical inrasrucure. I is ime or a naional

sraegy or inrasrucure resiliency, backed by a coordinaed inrasrucure-invesmen

sraegy, wih he highes level o suppor across all ederal agencies o help communiiesgrow smarer and build or he long haul. American leadership, growh, and prosperiy

depend upon meeing his challenge. I done righ, his may be a cenral and dening

legacy or Presiden Obama.

Plans or our naions uure physical inrasrucure are being laid oday. We can exhibi

he oresigh ha our predecessors showed as hey laid ou plans or canals, railways,

rural elecricaion, an inersae-highway sysem, and a global Inerne, or we can ail

o anicipae he needs o uure generaions. Tis is a momen or srong leadership,

meaningul invesmen, and mobilizaion o he naion hrough a coordinaed naional

sraegy. Te choice is ours.

Bracken Hendricks and Cathleen Kelly are Senior Fellows at the Center or American

Progress. Adam James is a Research Assistant or Energy Policy at the Center.

Tanks to Darryl Banks, Dan Weiss, Richard Caperton, and Melanie Hart or their contribu-

tions to this report.


14/15


Endnotes

1 U.S. Oce o Management and Budget, Fiscal Year 2014Budget o the U.S. Government (2013), available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/deault/les/omb/budget/y2014/assets/budget.pd.

2 The White House, Remarks by the President in the Stateo the Union Address, Press release, February 12, 2013,

available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-oce/2013/02/12/remarks-president-state-union-address;The White House, Remarks by the President on RebuildingAmerica Partnership in Miami, Florida, Press release,March 29, 2013, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-oce/2013/03/29/remarks-president-rebuilding-america-partnership-miami-forida.

3 Matthew Kahn and David Levinson, Fix It First, ExpandIt Second, Reward It Third: A New Strategy or AmericasHighways (Washington: Brookings Institute, 2011), avail-able at http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/les/papers/2011/2/highway%20inrastructure%20kahn%20levinson/02_highway_inrastructure_kahn_levinson_pa-per.pd.

4 The White House, The 2013 State o the Union, available athttp://www.whitehouse.gov/state-o-the-union-2013 (lastaccessed April 2013).

5 Colleen Curtis, President Obama Announces New FuelEconomy Standards, The White House blog, July 29, 2011,available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/07/29/president-obama-announces-new-uel-economy-standards;The White House, President Obama Signs Executive OrderPromoting Industrial Energy Eciency, Press release,August 30, 2012, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-oce/2012/08/30/president-obama-signs-execu-tive-order-promoting-industrial-energy-eci.

6 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, H. Rept. 152, 113th Cong.(2013), available at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr152.

7 Executive Order no. 13,514, Federal Leadership in Environ-mental, Energy and Economic Performance.

8 The White House, Climate Change Adaptation Task Force,available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/adaptation (last accessed April 2013).

9 National Ocean Council, Resiliency and Adaptation toClimate Change and Ocean Acidication Strategic ActionPlan (2011), available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/deault/les/microsites/ceq/sap_5_climate_ull_content_outline_06-02-11_clean.pd; Interagency Climate ChangeAdaptation Task Force, National Action Plan: Priorities orManaging Freshwater Resources in a Changing Cli mate(2011), available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/de-ault/les/microsites/ceq/2011_national_action_plan.pd;U.S. Fish and Wildlie Service, National Fish, Wildlie & PlantsClimate Adaptation Strategy, available at http://www.wildlieadaptationstrategy.gov/ (last accessed April 2013).

10 American Society o Civil Engineers, 2013 Report Card orAmericas Inrastructure: Overview: Executive Summary(2013), available at http://www.inrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/overview/executive-summary.

11 American Society o Civil Engineers, 2013 Report Card orAmericas Inrastructure: Bridges: Conditions & Capacity

(2013), available at http://www.inrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/bridges/conditions-and-capacity; msnbc.com, 9thought dead as Mi nneapolis bridge collap ses, August 2,2007, available at http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20079534/ns/us_news-lie/t/thought-dead-minneapolis-bridge-collapses/#.UWw3VbXvvms.

12 U.S. Department o the Treasury, Recovery Act: BuildAmerica Bonds, available at http://www.treasury.gov/initia-tives/recovery/Pages/babs.aspx (last accessed April 2013).

13 American Society o Civil Engineers, 2013 Report Card orAmericas Inrastructure, available at http://www.inrastruc-turereportcard.org/ (last accessed April 2013).

14 Donna Cooper, Keith Miller, and John Craig, AcceleratingInrastructure Improvements with Better Public Policies thatTap Private Investment (Washington: Center or American

Progress, 2012), available at http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/report/2012/11/27/46079/acceler-ating-inrastructure-improvements-with-better-public-policies-that-tap-private-investment/.

15 Doug Scott, ASCE Releases Final Failure to Act Report,ASCE News, January 2013, available at http://www.asce.org/ascenews/eatured.aspx?id=23622322886&blogid=25769815007.

16 U.S. Bureau o Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics romthe Current Population Survey (2013), available at http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea30.htm.

17 Kit Batten and others, Forecast: Storm Warnings (Wash-ington: Center or American Progress, 2007), availableat http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/re-port/2007/08/27/3394/orecast-storm-warnings/; BrackenHendricks, Get Ready: As Hurricanes Hit, Think GlobalWarming, Center or American Progress, June 2, 2006, avail-

able at http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2006/06/02/2011/get-ready/.

18 Daniel J. Weiss and Jackie Weidman, Going to Extremes:The $188 Billion Price Tag rom Climate-Related ExtremeWeather, Center or American Progress, February 12, 2013,available at http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going-to-extremes-the-188-billion-price-tag-rom-climate-related-extreme-weath-er/.

19 Christina Ng, Superstorm Sandy Crashes Ashore in NewJersey, ABC News, October 29, 2012, available at http://abc-news.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvms.

20 U.S. Global Change Research Program, Federal AdvisoryCommittee Drat Climate Assessment Report Released orPublic Review, available at http://ncadac.globalchange.gov/(last accessed April 2013).

21 Bracken Hendricks, Dont believe in global warming? Thatsnot very conservative, The Washington Post, November 7,2010, available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/05/AR2010110503155.html.

22 Ibid.

23 U.S. Global Change Research Program, NationalClimate Assessment (2013), available at http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/drat-report-inormation#question1.

24 Thomas Kaplan, Cuomo Seeking Home Buyouts inFlood Zones, The New York Times, February 3, 2013,available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyre-gion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-food-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&.

25 Daniel J. Weiss, Jackie Weidman, and Mackenzie Bronson,Heavy Weather: How Climate Destruction Harms Middle-

and Lower-Income Americans (Washington: Center orAmerican Progress, 2012), available at http://www.ameri-canprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/.

26 U.S. Climate Change Science Program, Impacts o ClimateChange and Variability on Transportation Systems andInrastructure: Gul Coast Study, Phase I (2008), available athttp://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-7/nal-report/sap4-7-nal-all.pd.
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canprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going-to-extremes-the-188-billion-price-tag-from-climate-related-extreme-weather/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going-to-extremes-the-188-billion-price-tag-from-climate-related-extreme-weather/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going-to-extremes-the-188-billion-price-tag-from-climate-related-extreme-weather/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going-to-extremes-the-188-billion-price-tag-from-climate-related-extreme-weather/http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landfall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvmshttp://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landfall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvmshttp://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landfall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvmshttp://ncadac.globalchange.gov/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/05/AR2010110503155.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/05/AR2010110503155.htmlhttp://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/draft-report-information#question1http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/draft-report-information#question1http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/draft-report-information#question1http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/https://by2prd0511.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=StDYJbjwykaLLZ32GCPmcc-X6ba2DdAI02lnZRiuhg8XGJFgD9J0LEF61uK6gzc9CunaQqMLoFc.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.climatescience.gov%2fLibrary%2fsap%2fsap4-7%2ffinal-report%2fsap4-7-final-all.pdfhttps://by2prd0511.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=StDYJbjwykaLLZ32GCPmcc-X6ba2DdAI02lnZRiuhg8XGJFgD9J0LEF61uK6gzc9CunaQqMLoFc.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.climatescience.gov%2fLibrary%2fsap%2fsap4-7%2ffinal-report%2fsap4-7-final-all.pdfhttps://by2prd0511.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=StDYJbjwykaLLZ32GCPmcc-X6ba2DdAI02lnZRiuhg8XGJFgD9J0LEF61uK6gzc9CunaQqMLoFc.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.climatescience.gov%2fLibrary%2fsap%2fsap4-7%2ffinal-report%2fsap4-7-final-all.pdfhttps://by2prd0511.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=StDYJbjwykaLLZ32GCPmcc-X6ba2DdAI02lnZRiuhg8XGJFgD9J0LEF61uK6gzc9CunaQqMLoFc.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.climatescience.gov%2fLibrary%2fsap%2fsap4-7%2ffinal-report%2fsap4-7-final-all.pdfhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/11/16/45135/heavy-weather-how-climate-destruction-harms-middle-and-lower-income-americans/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/draft-report-information#question1http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/draft-report-information#question1http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/draft-report-information#question1http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/05/AR2010110503155.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/05/AR2010110503155.htmlhttp://ncadac.globalchange.gov/http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landfall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvmshttp://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landfall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvmshttp://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-makes-landfall-jersey/story?id=17592795#.UWw6TrXvvmshttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going-to-extremes-the-188-billion-price-tag-from-climate-related-extreme-weather/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2013/02/12/52881/going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27 Weiss, Weidman, and Bronson, Heavy Weather: HowClimate Destruction Harms Middle- and Lower-IncomeAmericans.

28 Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Develop-ment, S. 652, 112th Cong. (20112013), available at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/s652.

29 U.S. General Services Administrat ion, American Recovery andReinvestment Act, available at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105234?utm_source=OCM&utm_medium=print-radio&utm_term=HDR_6_Help_recovery&utm_campaign=shortcuts(last accessed April 2013).

30 American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012, H.Rept. 7, 112th Cong. (20112013), available at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr7.

31 The White House, The 2013 State o the Union.

32 U.S. Global Change Research Program, National ClimateAssessment (2012), available at http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment/nca-overview.
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Documents

Infrastructure and Resilience: Forging a National Strategy for Reconstruction and Growth