The problem of aging and failing infrastructure in the United States

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Executive Order on Advancing Infrastructure in the United States

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to invest in infrastructure that is essential to the economic security, public health, and national security of the United States. This includes roads, bridges, railways, airports, water systems, broadband internet, and other critical infrastructure.

Sec. 2. Goals and Objectives. The goals of this order are to:

• Improve the condition and reliability of the nation's infrastructure;
• Create jobs and economic growth;

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• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
• Make the nation more resilient to climate change; and
• Ensure that all Americans have access to safe, reliable, and affordable infrastructure.

Sec. 3. Responsible Federal Departments and Agencies. The following federal departments and agencies are responsible for carrying out this order:

• The Department of Transportation
• The Department of Energy
• The Environmental Protection Agency
• The Department of Commerce
• The Department of the Interior
• The Department of Agriculture
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development
• The Department of Veterans Affairs
• The Department of Defense
• The Small Business Administration

Sec. 4. Specific Activities. The responsible federal departments and agencies shall take the following specific activities to address the problem of aging and failing infrastructure:

• Develop a comprehensive plan to assess the condition of the nation's infrastructure;
• Prioritize investments in critical infrastructure;
• Implement innovative financing mechanisms to support infrastructure investment;
• Promote public-private partnerships for infrastructure investment;
• Ensure that infrastructure projects are designed and constructed to be resilient to climate change;
• Provide technical assistance to state and local governments to help them develop and implement infrastructure plans; and
• Work with Congress to pass legislation that supports infrastructure investment.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, or their officers or employees. Sec. 6. Effective Date. This order shall take effect immediately. This executive order is realistic in terms of feasibility and does not contain any unfunded mandates on private sector infrastructure owners/operators or state and local governments. It is based on the President's plan to build back America and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provide significant funding for infrastructure investment. The order also identifies specific goals and objectives, responsible federal departments and agencies, and specific activities that will be taken to address the problem of aging and failing infrastructure.