Giving Thanks to the People Who Make America’s Infrastructure Work
A Message of Thanks
As we head into Thanksgiving week, the United for Infrastructure team wants to thank the individuals who make infrastructure work in America, from the trades workers who build and modernize our roads, bridges, ports, broadband, and water infrastructure to those who work for local public works departments, state transportation offices, and utilities who maintain our infrastructure every day.
New This Week
Permitting Bill Fast-Tracking Reviews to Get House Panel Vote (Bloomberg)
The House Natural Resources Committee will consider bipartisan legislation on November 20 that would expedite environmental reviews for all energy projects, Bloomberg reports. The bill would modify the National Environmental Policy Act to streamline the judicial review process and limit the number of days for filing lawsuits against energy projects.
Will Trump kill federal funding for public transportation? (Smart Cities Dive)
The Trump administration may eliminate the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund and prohibit states from using highway formula dollars for transit projects, writes Smart Cities Dive, citing reporting from POLITICO. If passed as part of the Surface Transportation Act reauthorization legislation, which would go into effect Oct. 1, 2026, the move “will annihilate state and local transportation budgets,” according to Transportation for America.
House Democrats, led by Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rick Larsen and Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez, asked USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy in a letter to preserve the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Changes to the program “threaten the survival of more than 50,000 existing small businesses across every state and affect the future path for small business participation in federally assisted transportation contracts,” the coalition states in the letter.
UFI applauds House action on permitting reform
In a letter to Congressional leaders in September, UFI called on Congress to preserve environmental protections while making reviews more predictable and efficient by enforcing deadlines for permitting decisions, expediting judicial reviews and agency actions, and expanding categorical exclusions and expediting their certification. UFI applauds Congress' efforts to breakdown longstanding barriers to putting federal infrastructure dollars to work on the ground in communities across the U.S.
Upcoming Events
Our United for Infrastructure Calendar is the central hub for infrastructure events. Share your plans with us via the “Submit an Event” button on our website, allowing us to amplify your event on our Calendar, on social media, and in this newsletter.
November 25 | Virtual
This informational webinar, hosted by Climate Mayors, C40 Cities, and Urban Sustainability Directors Network, will focus on sustainable transportation opportunities for cities in the 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to engage in the reauthorization process, participate in a two-way discussion with experts pertaining to policy gaps that cities are looking to fill, and learn how federal transportation legislation can enable cities to build cleaner, more efficient transportation systems.
December 1 | Virtual
Join ASCE, Autodesk, and Mott MacDonald for a conversation about how technology is transforming the way we plan, design, and deliver infrastructure. The panelists will explore how digital solutions — like AI, cloud collaboration, and connected data environments — are streamlining project information, improving decision-making, and enabling more resilient, future-ready infrastructure.
December 3 | Virtual
The National Association of Counties’ “Modernizing County Infrastructure: Empowering Smart, Secure, and Resilient Communities” webinar — designed for county executives, CIOs/CTOs, and operations leaders — explores practical approaches to modernizing networks, integrating cloud and on‑premises platforms, and protecting sensitive citizen data.
December 11 | Virtual
Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure will be showcased as a part of ASCE's Making the Grade Webinar Series. Following the release of the 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, the webinar will explore issues and solutions for both drinking water and wastewater across key criteria including funding, resilience, and capacity. The event features an overview of both chapters and provides rationale for the grades. Additionally, panelists will discuss on-the-ground experiences linking the report to the work of practitioners.
SAVE THE DATE: February 21-24 | Washington, D.C.
The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that matter most to county governments.
Attendees will experience timely, high-impact policy sessions and will interact with executive branch officials, members of Congress, and their staff.
STAY CONNECTED!
Be an advocate for the value of investments in our nation's infrastructure by amplifying UFI within your network! Follow us on X and LinkedIn for infrastructure-related news, updates, and information from our esteemed Steering Committee and valued Partnership Network.
Got a story we should know about? Has your infrastructure project or initiative been in the news lately? Help us amplify it by tagging us: @United4infra or #UnitedForInfrastructure.