Trump unveils controversial infrastructure plan
Nicholas Moore
["north america"]
US President Donald Trump unveiled a controversial 1.5-trillion-US-dollar infrastructure plan on Monday, as question marks linger over how authorities will fund the ambitious proposal, and whether it goes anywhere near far enough.
Trump promised to give “Americans the working, modern infrastructure they deserve,” after criticizing what he called inefficient investment under previous administrations that had led to the US falling behind other countries.
The US' rail network has often been criticized for poor investment. /VCG Photo‍

The US' rail network has often been criticized for poor investment. /VCG Photo‍

The 10-year strategy will see 200 billion dollars of federal investment, with Trump keen for state and local authorities to open up their coffers to make up the remaining 1.3 trillion dollars. Prior to his election, Trump made a campaign pledge of forcing through a one-trillion-dollar infrastructure plan in his first 100 days in office.

What's in the plan?

Half of the federal funds – 100 billion dollars – would be made available to local authorities bidding for various infrastructure projects, while 50 billion dollars would go toward projects in the countryside.
20 billion dollars will be spent on projects of “national significance” that can lift the “American spirit.” The infrastructure plan is vague on what such projects would entail, but proposals such as a high speed railway in California or a new tunnel between New York and New Jersey could benefit.
To encourage further investment, Trump has proposed lowering the time needed to approve major projects to less than two years, down from 5 to 10 years.

Why is it controversial?

Improving infrastructure should give Trump something concrete to point to when telling voters he has delivered on his promises, with the US falling far behind other developed countries when it comes to providing modern transport networks, energy and waste facilities.
VCG Photo

VCG Photo

A report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) last year said failure to address the gaping holes in infrastructure would cost the US economy four trillion dollars by 2025. ASCE suggested that at least two trillion US dollars of spending was needed, calling on the government to increase infrastructure spending to 3.5 percent of GDP.
House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi derided the proposal as a “scam,” saying it “fully fails to meet the need in America's communities.”
Several train crashes in the past year have highlighted concerns over the state of US infrastructure. The current rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey was built more than a century ago, with engineers calling for it to be repaired immediately at a price of more than 12 billion dollars. However, Trump canceled an agreement under the Obama administration to provide half of the funding.
The Hudson Rail Tunnel, built in 1908, is in need of urgent investment and repair work. /VCG Photo

The Hudson Rail Tunnel, built in 1908, is in need of urgent investment and repair work. /VCG Photo

According to Politico, Trump’s proposal intentionally focuses on rural regions and ignores urgent urban infrastructure needs, saying the plan “plays to his [Republican] base in rural and small-town America,” while punishing Democrat areas like New York.
Other critics within the Democrat and Republican parties have balked at the lack of information on where funding for the plan will come from. Trump’s tax plan will burn a three-trillion-dollar hole in the US deficit in the next 10 years, according to the New York Times, with additional infrastructure spending causing serious concern over finances.
Meanwhile, the proposal to reduce the time needed to approve major infrastructure projects has worried environmentalists, who are concerned that fast-tracked spending will mean protecting natural habitats across the US will not be strongly considered.
Trump in North Dakota, September 2017. The US president has been criticized for not considering the environment in his policies. /VCG Photo

Trump in North Dakota, September 2017. The US president has been criticized for not considering the environment in his policies. /VCG Photo

What happens next?

Trump’s infrastructure proposal will go to Congress on Wednesday, where the president will look to convince skeptics on both sides that the plan can be paid for, and that it is enough to meet the needs of the American people.