- President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, allocating $1.2 trillion for national improvements over five years.
- Florida will receive $19.1 billion in federal infrastructure funds, with a focus on highways, transportation, and water systems.
- Florida’s per capita funding of $887 is the lowest among states, with highway aid (68.6%) and public transportation (13.6%) as primary investment areas.
In today’s polarized political climate, few issues in Washington receive bipartisan support. Investment in the nation’s infrastructure, however, is a notable exception – and with good reason. A 2021 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers assigned U.S. public infrastructure an average letter grade of “C-” based on performance in 17 major categories, including roads, drinking water, transit, dams, and bridges. According to the report, the U.S. needs to invest an additional $2.6 trillion in infrastructure over the next 10 years.
To help address this shortfall, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law in November 2021. The bill authorizes $1.2 trillion in federal spending over a five-year period, including $550 billion in new spending to rebuild public works and transportation infrastructure. (Here is a look at Biden’s approval rating in every state.)
Much of this money will be distributed to state governments and has already been earmarked for certain projects, including bridge and highway repair, electric vehicle charging station construction, broadband internet expansion, airport improvements, cybersecurity, and wildfire protection. While the largest states by population are the ones receiving the most federal dollars, they are not necessarily the states where federal infrastructure spending will have the largest impact.
Florida is expected to receive $19.1 billion federal infrastructure investment. Adjusting for population, this comes out to about $887 per capita, the lowest among the 50 states.
Federal highway aid will account for 68.6% of infrastructure investment in the state, more than any other category, followed by public transportation, which will account for 13.6% of federal spending, and water infrastructure, at 8.4%.
All data in this story was compiled by U.S. News & World Report in its article, The States Benefiting the Most From the Infrastructure Deal.
| Rank | State | Per capita federal infrastructure aid ($) | Total federal infrastructure aid ($B) | Largest investment category | 2nd largest investment category | 3rd largest investment category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 6,721 | 4.9 | Federal Highway Aid | Airports | Water Infrastructure |
| 2 | Wyoming | 4,479 | 2.6 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 3 | Montana | 3,558 | 3.9 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 4 | Vermont | 3,458 | 2.2 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 5 | North Dakota | 3,390 | 2.6 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 6 | South Dakota | 3,210 | 2.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 7 | West Virginia | 2,452 | 4.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Bridge Replacements and Repairs | Water Infrastructure |
| 8 | Delaware | 2,401 | 2.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Airports |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 2,345 | 2.6 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 10 | Hawaii | 1,800 | 2.6 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 11 | New Mexico | 1,759 | 3.7 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 12 | Maine | 1,736 | 2.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 13 | Connecticut | 1,675 | 6.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 14 | Arkansas | 1,648 | 5.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 15 | Idaho | 1,645 | 3.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 16 | Iowa | 1,593 | 5.1 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 17 | Louisiana | 1,557 | 7.3 | Federal Highway Aid | Bridge Replacements and Repairs | Water Infrastructure |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,550 | 3.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 19 | Mississippi | 1,507 | 4.5 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,487 | 2.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 21 | Missouri | 1,464 | 9.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 1,458 | 5.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 23 | New Jersey | 1,454 | 13.5 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 24 | Kentucky | 1,439 | 6.5 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 25 | Illinois | 1,390 | 17.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 26 | Alabama | 1,387 | 7.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | 1,369 | 17.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 28 | New York | 1,333 | 26.9 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 1,327 | 9.3 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 30 | Kansas | 1,307 | 3.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 31 | Indiana | 1,303 | 8.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 32 | Nevada | 1,301 | 4.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 33 | Oregon | 1,265 | 5.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 34 | Wisconsin | 1,234 | 7.3 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 35 | Texas | 1,216 | 35.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 36 | Utah | 1,209 | 4.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 37 | Maryland | 1,198 | 7.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 38 | South Carolina | 1,195 | 6.1 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 39 | Minnesota | 1,192 | 6.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 40 | Virginia | 1,170 | 10.1 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 41 | Georgia | 1,152 | 12.3 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 42 | Tennessee | 1,151 | 8.0 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 43 | California | 1,127 | 44.6 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Bridge Replacements and Repairs |
| 44 | Washington | 1,115 | 8.6 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 45 | Ohio | 1,087 | 12.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 46 | Michigan | 1,070 | 10.8 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 47 | Colorado | 1,068 | 6.2 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 48 | Arizona | 1,022 | 7.3 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
| 49 | North Carolina | 996 | 10.4 | Federal Highway Aid | Water Infrastructure | Public Transportation |
| 50 | Florida | 887 | 19.1 | Federal Highway Aid | Public Transportation | Water Infrastructure |
It can hardly be surprising. Politics is, after all, Human Relations & the guy at the top of Florida’s political heap isn’t great in that regard. $19.1 B is nothing to complain about, and exceeds the funding granted many other states. With the need for highway funding at the Critical Stage, we should be THANKFUL for funding, not trying to find more ways to COMPLAIN,
Agree. Besides, DeSantis will claim he funded every dime of it and will not give any credit to the Feds, much less President Biden’s bill.
The following is a news story from
WLRN 91.3 FM | By Daniel Rivero 11, 2021 at 5:25 PM EDT
President Biden, pictured in the East Room of the White House on March 18, on Wednesday unveils his massive “Build Back Better” infrastructure proposal.
President Biden, pictured in the East Room of the White House on March 18, on Wednesday unveils his massive “Build Back Better” infrastructure proposal.
The bill, if passed by the House of Representatives, would pump billions of dollars of infrastructure dollars into the state. Here’s a quick look at the projects involved.
The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill Tuesday, after years of political bickering stalled similar actions in Congress.
The move marks a pivotal moment for President Joe Biden, as a signature bipartisan effort to enact his Build Back Better economic plan. In total, nineteen Republicans — including minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — voted for the package that includes more than half a trillion dollars in new infrastructure spending. . . .
. . . Both Republican senators from Florida, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, voted against the measure.
Whatever your politics, Florida is getting $19B. Yes it’s the lowest on a per capita basisn but consider that much of Florida’s infrastructure is newer than most other states, doesn’t experience the degradation from winter freeze/thaw stress, and has high gas taxes, paid by abundant tourists, that are targeted to roads and bridges to help keep up with the traffic demand on roads. And the state needed to ASK for the $$ for projects. So that part does land in the gov’s lap.
Also there’s this….
(A bit of pique maybe? Or just misguided/not thinking ahead?)
https://thecapitolist.com/five-million-dollar-desantis-veto-triggers-cancellation-of-346-million-in-federal-funding/
De Santis has made it clear he doesn’t want to accept any build-back better infrastructure funds: FOR POLITICAL SELFISH REASONS. Look at how covid federal funds were misspent. Who are we kidding here?
Now we don’t want to look a gift horse in the eye? Ask Rubio and Scott. THEY VOTED AGAINST IT.
RES IPSA LOQUITUR.