During the COVID-19 press conference on April 5, President Trump addressed a question on the need and timing of infrastructure improvements for the U.S. President Trump supports a massive investment in much-needed improvements to U.S. roads, rail, bridges, levees, drinking water, seaports, airports, etc. that will also help spur the economy post-COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump…
Part 3 of 5 Antiquated Regulations Challenges to improved infrastructure and procurement practices are exacerbated by antiquated regulations that remain in place. These antiquated regulations do not acknowledge new, innovative drinking water conveyance technologies. Outdated regulations create regulatory ambiguity and complying with these old regulations contributes to project delays and increased costs to water ratepayers.…
Part 2 of 5 Antiquated Procurement Practices We have learned that there is growing bipartisan support in Congress to require state and local governments to maintain open and fair competition for materials used by public water systems when using federal financing programs. According to some members working closely on the proposed infrastructure package Congress hopes…
House Maintains Modest Increases in all 12 Appropriations Bills Above FY 2019 Levels On June 11 officials from the White House & Office of Management and Budget will meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) & Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) to chart a path forward on the FY 2020 appropriations bills that…
The exterior of the Flint Water Plant in Michigan. Flint is in the spotlight as concerns over it’s water quality and lead content have made national headlines.
The drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan heightened the public’s attention across the U.S. about the issue of the deteriorating decades-old drinking water infrastructure. Along with the rest of America, Cansler Consulting watched as the crisis unfolded. Members of Congress, state and federal regulatory officials conducted multiple hearings and site visits to learn more about these challenges occurring in multiple municipalities throughout the U.S. What they learned is, without future federal budget pressures, drinking water infrastructure issues are likely to remain prominent in the U.S. through 2037 and beyond. Lobbying and government relations are the most effective ways to apply those pressures.…
With more than one-quarter of U.S. gross domestic product hanging in the balance, U.S. seaports need to be improved if they want to be more competitive in today’s global economy. Today, ports find themselves on the never-ending treadmill of maintaining efficient operations and installing costly infrastructure upgrades to maintain U.S. competitiveness. Fighting for survival in the middle of an economic recession will require an unique strategy that includes non-traditional public-private investments.…
