To provide direction for projects to be funded under the new $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, President Biden has named former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to coordinate the administration’s overall infrastructure plan.
In announcing the appointment, the White House said Landrieu would be tasked with overseeing “the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations.”
Landrieu will serve as both an infrastructure coordinator and adviser for the White House, working also with the National Economic Council.
The White House noted that Landrieu, who served as New Orleans’ mayor from 2010 to 2018, was instrumental in overseeing and coordinating projects to rebuild the Crescent City after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
“He hit the ground running, fast-tracking over 100 projects and securing billions in federal funding for roads, schools, hospitals, parks and critical infrastructure, turning New Orleans into one of America’s great comeback stories,” the White House continued.
In accepting the post, Landrieu said a comprehensive infrastructure program will require “strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business, and labor.”
Landrieu added that he was committed to the President’s “goals of combating climate change and advancing equity.”
Some business leaders have expressed concerns over how the massive infrastructure initiative may be implemented.
But according to Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the U.C. Chamber of Commerce, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the appointment of Landrieu, who has a working knowledge of spearheading infrastructure projects “sends an important signal that the administration is focused on delivering on the promises and the opportunities that this bill presents.”
While the funding process for various infrastructure projects will inevitably be complex, sources say that every project will be required to both use U.S. suppliers and union workers. Projects must also be designed with an eye to the impact of climate change.
By Garry Boulard