Updated August 7, 2024
Where do the 2024 presidential candidates stand on U.S. infrastructure issues?
After the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—which would allocate $550 billion in federal spending to new infrastructure projects—was passed in 2021, public support for increased infrastructure investment remained steady. Two-thirds of Americans continue to support the IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. More than 80% of Americans favor increasing funding for bridges, roads and ports. Both Republicans and Democrats agree on funding “hard” infrastructure at 79% and 87% respectively, but differ on other areas such as internet services and affordable housing. However, the two parties found agreement on funding for pipes that supply drinking water, with 70% support among Republicans and 85% among Democrats. A Gallup poll shows that Americans’ largest environmental concern is clean water.
Here's your 2024 voter guide on how the presidential candidates compare to each other on infrastructure issues.
Subtopics:
- Broadband Internet
- Clean Water
- Transportation
- Public Transport
- Alternative Fuels
Broadband Internet
Kamala Harris (D): Advocates for expanding high-speed Internet access to all.
Vice President Kamala Harris led the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to bring Internet access to all Americans. Harris said in a statement that “every person in America should be able to access affordable, high-speed internet no matter where they live or how much they earn.”
The Biden-Harris administration worked to pass the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (formally the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) which included $65 billion in federal funding to expand broadband Internet. In 2023, the White House announced that states and tribal territories would receive more than $40 billion in federal funding from the act to increase Internet access. The administration promised that federal funding from the act and other initiatives would “be able to connect every person in America to reliable high-speed Internet by 2030.”
The Biden-Harris administration worked with Congress to create the Affordable Connectivity Program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which discounted eligible households’ monthly Internet bills by $30. Congress did not act on the administration’s calls to extend the program’s funding, so it ended in June 2024.
Donald Trump (R): Advocates for expanding Internet access in rural communities.
As part of his American Broadband Initiative to “promote the rapid deployment of broadband internet across rural America,” Former President Donald Trump (along with his administration) announced $86 million in federal investments for rural broadband service, affecting 17,000 people and businesses in eight states in 2020. The following year, he announced $16 million for underserved rural areas as part of the $550 million allocated to Congress’s ReConnect Program. In 2020, he signed the Secure 5G and Beyond Act to enhance research development in 5G.
Cornel West (Ind.)
No specific stance from Cornel West was found.
Chase Oliver (Lib.): Opposes government involvement in broadband infrastructure.
No specific stance from Chase Oliver was found; however, libertarians often advocate against government involvement and for private solutions. The Libertarian Party opposes all forms of government subsidies, rejects government charter corporations, and calls for a “separation of business and state.”
Jill Stein (G): Supports high-speed Internet access for all.
Jill Stein supports free, public high-speed Internet across the U.S. with rural broadband via fiber optics.
On March 19, 2024 she tweeted that “Internet access is a necessity to get by in the modern economy. The Affordable Connectivity Program is not enough. It's time for free, high-speed access to an uncensored internet as a human right.”
The Green Party platform states that it seeks to provide broadband Internet access for all, “so that access to information is a right, not a commodity.” The platform also calls for the “specific classification of all Internet service providers as common carriers as used in Title II of the Communications Act.”
Clean Water
Kamala Harris (D): Advocates for reducing toxins in water and making safe drinking water accessible for all.
While serving in the Biden administration, Vice President Kamala Harris advocated for expanding access to clean water. Harris said she believes that “every person should have a right and the ability to have access to clean water, and it should not matter where you live or how much money you earn or how much money you’ve got in your back pocket.”
The Biden-Harris administration implemented the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with more than $50 billion in funding to: improve water quality systems and facilities in communities through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF); decrease contaminants and “forever chemicals” perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water; replace lead pipes; and improve sewage and wastewater infrastructure. The bill specifically increased investment in clean water infrastructure in Native American and disadvantaged communities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the act’s funding is “the single largest investment in water that the federal government has ever made.”
The Biden-Harris administration set a goal to replace 100% of the country’s lead pipes through the Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative. The Biden-Harris administration also set the first national limits on PFAS, which have been linked to illnesses and cancers, in water.
Donald Trump (R): Advocates for reducing pollution regulation to improve efficiency of water infrastructure upgrades.
Former President Donald Trump’s administration rolled back federal limits on pollution in waterways under the Clean Water Act, meaning polluters no longer needed a permit to “discharge potentially harmful substances into many streams and wetlands.” He directed agencies to reduce regulations to “promote efficient… reviews of major water infrastructure projects.” He also directed agencies to improve the use of technology to increase water reliability.
Trump also signed an executive order to establish an interagency Water Subcabinent to “streamline the Federal government’s approach to managing America’s water resources and work to upgrade our Nation’s water infrastructure, safeguard public health, and create jobs.”
Cornel West (Ind.): Advocates for water and sanitation facilities to be accessible to all.
Cornel West advocates for establishing a “constitutional right to clean water,” according to his campaign website. If elected, West claims he would form a “Federal Office for Tribal Equity and Liberation” that would ensure indigenous people have access to clean water. West acknowledged that some Americans do not have access to sanitation facilities and said he believes it must be “a priority to ensure that people have access to decent resources.”
Chase Oliver (Lib.)
No specific stance from Chase Oliver was found; however, in June 2024, he tweeted, “A great way to keep our air and water clean is to remove tort caps that create a real incentive for firms to make sure they aren't poisoning our communities. You don't need the bureaucratic state to do this.”
Libertarians often advocate for the privatization of water ways, emphasizing that private property is usually well maintained and government ownership has not adequately protected public waterways or public water infrastructure.
Jill Stein (G): Supports reducing toxins in water through a “Constitutional Green Amendment.”
Jill Stein supports a “Constitutional Green Amendment” to guarantee the right of all people to clean water — as well as land, and air. Stein considers contaminated water supplies to be a “crisis” and supports a national effort to remove lead, PFAS, and other toxins.
Jill Stein also supports establishing a federal commission to “eradicate the lead pipes and tainted water crisis impacting cities like Flint, MI” within one year of taking office.
Stein has also promised to uphold the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, requiring tribal consent for construction on treaty lands and waterways.
The Green Party emphasizes environmental issues, including clean water as a basic human right.
Transportation
Kamala Harris (D): Advocates for increasing government funding for transportation projects and expanding public transit.
Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden’s administration implemented the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included more than $550 billion in funding to be used through 2026 for repairing roads and bridges; updating and improving railways, rail services, public transportation and airport facilities; improving port and waterway infrastructure; adding electric vehicle chargers and increasing electric vehicles in public transportation; and addressing traffic safety concerns. So far, the funding has largely been used to widen roads rather than bus, rail, and cycling options.
The act devoted up to $355 million per year from 2022 to 2026 to improving transportation in indigenous communities through the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Project. The act also allocated more than $3 billion in funding to create the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program, the “first-ever Federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure.”
Harris said she believes that “‘good transit equals vibrant communities.’” The Biden Harris administration announced $1.3 billion in funding to modernize public transportation, purchase electric and clean vehicles and reduce emissions, which was “the single largest investment in public transit in history.”
Donald Trump (R): Supports decreasing regulations that inhibit the progress of transportation projects and increasing funding for transportation infrastructure.
Former President Donald Trump asked Congress to leverage $200 billion in infrastructure investments to upgrade transportation and roads, with a focus on advancing transportation in rural America. He also proposed to dedicate 25% of federal funds to rural infrastructure projects. Additionally, he declared May 13th through May 19th “National Transportation Week” to celebrate the people who ensure our transportation is safe and reliable.
Cornel West (Ind.): Supports public infrastructure and green reconstruction.
Cornel West promised to “establish federal public banking institutions to fund public infrastructure and green reconstruction” if elected.
Chase Oliver (Lib.): Supports ending the Transportation Security Administration.
Chase Oliver has expressed support to end the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), saying that the administration uses excessive Federal surveillance, violating civil liberties and wasting taxpayer dollars.
Oliver opposes the Jones Act, which regulates maritime commerce in US waters. In a recent social media post, he said that ships “carry less cargo than 60 years ago. They are the only transport industry that hasn’t grown as the population has increased,” attributing this issue to the Jones Act.
Jill Stein (G): Supports transportation reformation through the Ecosocialist Green New Deal.
Jill Stein supports the Ecosocialist Green New Deal, which advocates for social ownership of public transportation and the automotive industries, governed by elected boards, with the goal of rapidly transitioning to clean energy sources. Her campaign website states, “We need a real Green New Deal to transition rapidly from an economic system that is destroying our only home to a sustainable society built around human needs and protecting life on Earth.”
The Ecosocialist Green New Deal is different from the more widely known Green New Deal sponsored by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which was criticized by some in the Green party and on the left for including “massive public investments in private industry.”
This blog was originally written by Harry Ding, Content Intern (Center bias). It was updated by Olivia Geno, News and Bias Assistant (Lean Right bias); Kai Lincke, Content Intern (Lean Left bias); Malayna J. Bizier, News Analyst and Social Media Editor (Right bias); and Krystal Woodworth, Growth Specialist and Executive Assistant (Center bias). It was reviewed and edited by Henry A. Brechter, Editor-in-chief (Center bias); Joseph Ratliff, Content Designer and News Editor (Lean Left bias); and Malayna J. Bizier, News Analyst and Social Media Editor (Right bias).