Now that Joe Biden has secured a victory in the presidential election, increased spending on infrastructure is probable—yet many questions remain. In this webinar, attorneys from our regulatory and legislative practices provided an in-depth analysis of President-elect Biden’s infrastructure policies, their implications for businesses, and the challenges of passing any major legislation with narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate.
Among the key topics discussed were a potential increase in fuel taxes and whether a vehicle miles travel tax will be phased in to help replenish the Highway Trust Fund; the role environmental reviews play in affecting the timing and ultimate success of infrastructure projects, (depending on how such projects are prioritized by the agencies and how programs are implemented); the expected push to move away from fossil fuel-burning vehicles to electric vehicles; the potential for tapping private capital to meet financing shortfalls; whether highway, transit, and rail programs are likely to be fundamentally restructured; and whether the 2020 House bill or the Green New Deal proposals will be the framework for any such legislation.
Our attorneys also evaluated the $2 trillion infrastructure investment proposals in President-elect Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan and the House-passed Moving Forward Act, which provides $1.5 trillion for investment in broadband, energy, wastewater, building, transportation, housing, innovation, and healthcare.
You can watch the full webinar here, and to learn more about our infrastructure practice please click here.