Biden administration pledges to keep IIJA funds flowing in final months

Bloomberg News

The Biden administration marked Friday's third anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by announcing $3.4 billion in fresh grants and pledging to keep the money flowing in the few remaining months left in the administration.

"There's only one administration at a time," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday at a press conference announcing the grants. "That's true now, and it will also be true after January 20th. Our responsibility is to make good use of the funds that Congress has authorized for us and that we're responsible for assigning and disbursing throughout the last three years."

As the five-year, $1.2 trillion law enters its third year, it has invested nearly $570 billion in 66,000 projects across the country, according to the administration.

Incoming President Donald Trump has signaled he would seek to undo some of the programs associated with the IIJA, like the $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations. But most of the money is structured as advance appropriations that would be difficult for Republicans to unwind. IIJA appropriations run out on Sept. 30, 2026.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a Republican, joined Buttigieg to tout the IIJA's impact and the bipartisan nature of infrastructure.

"It's been amazing to have this kind of opportunity and we know there's more to come," Holt said. "We're ready and willing to continue to work with this administration and future administrations to continue to implement the important initiatives."

Beshear highlighted the $1.6 billion federal IIJA grant for the Brent-Spence bridge replacement, which required cooperation from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, and Republican and Democratic senators.

The latest $3.4 billion in grants will go to rail, road and ports under three IIJA programs: the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program, the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program, and the Port Infrastructure Development Program.

The money includes $1.5 billion for 19 rail projects along the Northeast Corridor. Another $1.2 billion will go to 39 states to promote the use of cleaner building materials under the Inflation Reduction Act's Low Carbon Transportation Materials Discretionary Grant Program.

"A new administration will follow but the impact of the infrastructure package will continue and even accelerate in the years to come," Buttigieg said. "A big part of that is because of leadership of state and local leadership."