Clifford Chance

Trump Administration Releases Long Awaited Infrastructure Plan

21 February 2018

On February 12, 2018, the Trump Administration fulfilled a campaign promise and revealed its long awaited infrastructure plan (the "Plan"). The Administration released a preview of the Plan a few weeks ago, and President Trump stated in his State of the Union address that he would propose an infrastructure agenda to "build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways across" the U.S. While Congressional leaders have all voiced support for an infrastructure program, reactions leading up to this point have been mixed – both Democrats and Republicans have been critical of the potential source of funding for Trump's Plan. Democrats recently released their own infrastructure plan, which would involve $1 trillion in federal spending. The Administration's Plan includes $200 billion in federal funding over a decade, primarily financed by budget cuts from other federal government programs, and aims to incentivize local and state governments and the private sector to spend over $1 trillion. Additional goals of the Plan include shortening the federal permitting process and developing the infrastructure of rural areas, a key demographic of support for the President. The Administration's proposal will now head to Congress for a lengthy legislative process involving numerous committees.

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