Let’s rebuild the Key Bridge, the ‘American way’

President Biden’s “Buy American” presidential order It ranks as one of the most important elements of his economic policy. Now facing the urgent task of rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a massive undertaking to which he has committed his administration, including upcoming site visits, he is ” needs to use all the powers of the presidency to restore “the American way.” ” This is the only strategy that will allow you to execute your project quickly and effectively.

The American way includes the can-do attitude that animated nation-building, from the Cumberland Road to the Apollo moon shot. Therefore, rebuilding this 1.6-mile stretch requires breaking the creeping foreign dependence that has preyed on the national economy since the end of the Cold War. It will also require aligning this megaproject with the president’s “buy American” and “hire American” principles, especially with American labor unions and American architects and engineers.

Biden would do well to follow President Abraham Lincoln’s policy of using domestically produced products when building the transcontinental railroad. This revitalized the U.S. steel industry by avoiding cheap imports from Britain. This approach assesses the overall benefits a project brings to a country, including steel from China, cement from Mexico, electronics and “smart” features from Japan, engineering from India, and foreign workers, comparable to Britain’s railways. This means avoiding a narrow cost-cutting focus on modern parts. All of this puts American companies and American workers at a huge disadvantage.

Biden also needs to funnel federal resources to Baltimore City and County and neighboring jurisdictions to strengthen the local economy. Bridge collapse causes direct and indirect job losses. Among the priorities: Worker training programs run by U.S. companies and unions will begin immediately, with priority given to unemployed Americans in Baltimore. Expanding the local labor pool of trained and skilled Americans would make it easier for contractors to attract workers when actual bridge construction begins.

But that’s not all. The American way also calls for streamlining contracting and permitting processes. Alternative projects must be developed efficiently and quickly through the joint one-stop clearinghouse now established to facilitate communication and decision-making between government agencies.

Rationalization is very important. late start The government’s domestic outsourcing of semiconductor manufacturing through the CHIPS Act had been slow even before the submission of environmental impact reports required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970. white house research We found that the NEPA process takes an average of 4.5 years to complete. That’s a time that Baltimore and this country don’t have. Without strong reforms to the 1970 law, which for now also includes specific exemptions from his NEPA for bridges and his CHIPS project, the rest of infrastructure and industry will continue to lag behind the rest of the world. It will be.

To further shorten the timeline, the Department of Transportation should allocate contracts to the most qualified design, engineering, and construction firms as soon as possible. No red tape. The request for proposal period will not be extended or delayed. There is no extended bidding process. The names of leading companies in each field emerge from the hat. Contracts are closely audited and costly.

These details will accelerate the escalation of the Baltimore Beltway’s collapsed artery. The Baltimore Beltway’s notorious overcapacity will spill over into the two port tunnels. To address this related problem, alternative designs include doubling the number of lanes on the bridge and an approach that aligns with the design of Interstate 695, which surrounds the city, with an eye toward the remainder of the 21st century. An intersection at the tip must be assumed.

Furthermore, what became clear from the container ship accident was that our weakness Oppose asymmetric warfare aimed at destroying U.S. infrastructure and, by extension, the economy. A presidential commission will be established to conduct a top-level assessment of all potential infrastructure failure points across the country, followed by rapid funding by Congress to remediate vulnerabilities, including appropriate security. That is justified. The next bridge tragedy may not be caused by a giant container ship, but by a copycat attack by a small number of well-trained operatives using motorboats.

Biden, who has traveled to Baltimore for years, knows that the National Anthem was written not far from the Key Bridge during the War of 1812, the bridge from which it gets its name. We almost lost that conflict, but we learned an important lesson. It is our country’s independence and prosperity. , and in the future, we need an active role from the federal government and leadership from the president to ensure a strong industrial base and supporting infrastructure.

Indeed, 20 years earlier, Alexander Hamilton had submitted his seminal Report on Manufacturers to Congress in Philadelphia, stating that “every nation should endeavor to possess within itself all that is necessary for the national supply.” ”, he complained.

Hamilton’s vision of the American way was rejected by Presidents Jefferson and Madison. Neither was bullish on economic founders’ promotion of manufacturing or “internal improvement.” However, during his presidency, British troops burned down the Capitol and the White House, convincing Madison that his colleagues were right.

In his second term, the Father of the Constitution began implementing the American System, a formula that would transform the agricultural federation into the world’s most powerful industrial power by the end of the century.

Critics of free markets will vehemently oppose bold federal leadership, including things like “buy and hire Americans.” The neoliberal crowd, which subordinates countries to economic efficiency, is perfectly content with the huge foreign economic dependence that has left Central America behind. Their protests are sure to be joined by radical environmentalists and wealthy anti-growth litigators, for whom America’s infrastructure, industry, and the jobs they provide are considered essential.

But if Biden wants to strengthen the American economy,bounce back betterThe Francis Scott Key Bridge is a coincidence that will showcase the president’s leadership, advance Buy American principles, elevate American industry and infrastructure to new heights, and reshape the American way of doing business in the 21st century. represents an opportunity.

Kevin L. Kearns is president of the American Business and Industry Council. Robert W. Patterson, former Vice President of the Board of Trustees, served as Deputy Secretary for Communications at the Social Security Administration from 2017 to 2019.