Representatives from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) shared their perspectives with a House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means subcommittee on the current and future economic impact of federal infrastructure investment on February 15th.

 
The Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures hearing dove into the benefits of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA that was signed into law in November 2021.
Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and AASHTO's 2021-2022 president, Shawn Wilson, Ph. D., noted that state DOTs are going through a "readjustment" that may prove critical to fully implement the IIJA.
"Workforce development is an urgent and critical issue for state DOTs," Wilson explained, "While the IIJA provided an increase in funding to state DOTs, the ability to effectively utilize these resources depends upon having the necessary workforce in place."
Wilson also notes IIJA focuses on two key issues infrastructure resiliency and broadband deployment. Wilson added that the pandemic "has changed our economy" and how we experience everyday things like healthcare and learning.
"Nationwide, even if we may not be the lead state broadband agency, AASHTO members want to be part of the conversation to provide equal access to information and resources now and into the future," Wilson said.
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