16 GOP Governors Seek Cooperation From The Biden Administration On Infrastructure Implementation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 16 Republican governors, led by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, issued a joint letter to President Joe Biden requesting that the federal agencies charged with implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) draft regulations and guidance that defer to the states and limit red tape and federal overreach.

For the IIJA to be implemented successfully, the governors highlight how the states must participate as partners with the federal government. This letter reaffirms how Republican governors are defending state rights and preventing further federal overreach in order to protect economic growth.

Signatories to the letter include Governors: Mike Dunleavy (AK), Kay Ivey (AL), Asa Hutchinson (AR), Brian Kemp (GA), Eric Holcomb (IN), Mike Parson (MO), Greg Gianforte (MT), Pete Ricketts (NE), Doug Burgum (ND), Chris Sununu (NH), Kevin Stitt (OK), Henry McMaster (SC), Kristi Noem (SD), Bill Lee (TN), Spencer Cox (UT), and Mark Gordon (WY).

Portions of the letter included below: 

“As governors, we understand the importance of long-term planning, balanced budgets, and certainty to the projects in our states best suited for investment. We agree that the programs should get implemented “without unnecessary bureaucracy and delay to rebuild America’s infrastructure” and that red tape should not stand in the way. Therefore, we ask that your Office of Management and Budget (OMB), along with the respective federal agencies charged with implementation, draft regulations and guidance that defer to the states and confer maximum regulatory flexibility.
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“Excessive consideration of equity, union memberships, or climate as lenses to view suitable projects would be counterproductive. Your administration should not attempt to push a social agenda through hard infrastructure investments and instead should consider economically sound principles that align with state priorities.
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“Innovation, not regulation, is the driver of economic growth, and we ask that your administration not burden states or private sector partners with needless and unnecessary red tape. In addition to workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, and sky-high inflation, your administration should halt any attempts to put unnecessary restrictions on the sourcing of labor or materials that would exacerbate the crises our industries are already facing.

“We stand ready to work with OMB to ensure the IIJA has long lasting improvements to our nation’s infrastructure and is not plagued with burdensome, administrative red tape that will counter actual improvements and meaningful results.”

View the signed letter here.