Editor’s note: Alec Hughes is a former Daily staffer. Hughes did not contribute to this article.
Earlier this month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Washington, DC to tout the potential for additional federal investment in Michigan from the Biden-Harris Administration. Specifically, Governor Whitmer discussed with the U.S. Department of Defense the Unmanned Triple Challenge Drone Innovation Competition and with the Department of the Interior the possible designation of the Keweenaw Peninsula as a National Heritage Area. Throughout President Biden’s term, Governor Whitmer and administration officials have discussed and secured funding for Michigan, which continues to this day.
Biden’s “Invest in America” ​​program is a combination of private and public donations, legislation, and mobilization. The program aims to support and fund a variety of projects across the country that aim to expand manufacturing, create jobs, and repair infrastructure. As of May, the “Invest in America” ​​program announced that it would provide $28 billion in private funding and $12.8 billion in public funding to Michigan. In a statement released on June 4, Governor Whitmer said she would continue to work to obtain additional funding for the state.
“Michigan is competing for every federal resource and funding we can get to build on the momentum of our economy, including the more than $12.4 billion in direct investment the Biden-Harris Administration has already made to our state,” Governor Whitmer wrote. “I am excited to work with my fellow Congressional delegation and Cabinet members to attract more investment, create more jobs, and revitalize more communities here in Michigan.”
The bipartisan infrastructure bill enacted in November 2021 allocates $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure, with $550 billion of that set aside for investment. Under the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the administration will inject $10.7 billion in public funds into Michigan for roads, high-speed internet, clean water and other infrastructure projects.
Of the state’s BIL funds, $6.8 billion goes to transportation. Governor Whitmer, who campaigned on a promise to “fix our bad roads” in the 2018 gubernatorial election, continues to make statements about ongoing transportation infrastructure projects under that slogan.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, Alec Hughes and Adam LaCasse, LSA seniors and co-chairs of the university’s College Democrats chapter, said they believe the investment will contribute to infrastructure improvements the state would not have been able to fund otherwise.
“This is extremely beneficial for Michigan. Studies have shown that the primary reason for Michigan’s poor infrastructure performance is a $4-6 billion funding gap, particularly for roads,” Hughes and LaCasse wrote. “Federal legislation, particularly BIL and (Block Inflation Act) funding, will go a long way toward closing this gap, and the benefits are already being seen. Across the state, repairs are underway on highways and bridges.”
Michigan has attracted $26.8 billion in private financing to invest in clean energy, including $23.9 billion in electric vehicles and batteries. Under his administration, companies like General Motors and Ford have pledged to build multibillion-dollar manufacturing plants in the state. Despite early investment, many of these plants have been delayed, leading to backlash and declining job creation.
During a visit to Washington, D.C. in June, Governor Whitmer spoke at the CNBC CEO Council Summit about the importance of the electric vehicle industry to the state, saying investment in the sector will increase job creation and boost manufacturing.
“For the first time in a really long time, we have a real strategy to rebuild manufacturing in this country,” said Governor Whitmer. “We saw during the pandemic how bad things were on so many fronts, not just jobs but homeland security. We need manufacturing growth in this country, and that’s sustained and serious.”
In an interview with The Daily, LSA junior Akil Kasbai, political director for Michigan State’s College Democrats and co-president of the Michigan Undergraduate Political Science Association, said encouraging companies to get into the EV industry through subsidies would be good for the environment and the state’s economy, especially since Michigan is a Rust Belt state looking to revitalize its auto industry.
“Clean energy investment is a very promising area,” Kasbai said. “It’s a real economic multiplier effect. It creates jobs, it helps the environment, and it also puts (Michigan) back on the federal manufacturing map. I think that’s a great thing for a lot of people here.”
As of March, Michigan had received $71.2 million to build EV chargers across the state, with the total expected to reach $110 million over the next five years.
In addition to clean energy projects, funding has also been announced for the state’s clean water. The Environmental Protection Agency has committed $142 million to replace toxic lead pipes, and $204.4 million of the $748.1 million in BIL funding for clean water will also go toward pipe replacement. Hughes and LaCasse write that these investments will rectify Michigan’s troubled history with water quality.
“Lead pipe replacement has been a long-standing challenge, as the Flint water crisis made clear, and work is underway now to ensure a similar crisis never happens again,” Hughes and LaCasse wrote. “It will also create tens of thousands of jobs, further contributing to the state’s economic growth. All of these investments will create a safer, more welcoming Michigan.”
The Administration’s funding initiatives also support technological advancement. The CHIPS and SCIENCE Act, enacted in August 2022, contributes to technology investments, particularly in the semiconductor industry. $756.2 million in private funding has been announced for Michigan’s semiconductor industry, and $2.2 billion in BIL funding is dedicated to high-speed internet.
In addition to numerous infrastructure investments, the Biden Administration is also helping to reduce the cost of living for Michiganders of all ages. Approximately 82,700 residents have been approved for student loan forgiveness totaling $4.2 billion. Additionally, $211.2 million has been dedicated to reducing home energy costs, and Michiganders are also benefiting from measures to reduce health insurance and prescription drug costs.
Biden will represent the Democratic Party in the November presidential election, and the administration’s involvement in the state could influence the decisions of Michigan voters given its status as a battleground state that could play a key role in determining the outcome of a statistically close election.
Hughes and LaCasse said Biden’s investment will encourage Michiganders to vote Democrat in November’s election.
“We believe that by November, voters will know how Democrats ‘fixed their bad roads,’ how Democrats passed the largest climate change bill in the history of the world, how Democrats are the only party offering real solutions to real problems, and they will vote for them because of that,” Hughes and LaCasse write.
Kasbai said the administration’s slow implementation of investments and personal opinions could make it difficult for Biden to claim responsibility for improvements.
“Political scientists have worked out whether people’s material self-interest and economic self-interest play a big role,” Kasbai says. “If you were in the job under Biden and given all the resources, would that change whether you would vote for him? It has a lot to do with the assertion of the issue. Do you attribute it to the executive branch? Or do you attribute it to, say, your local Republican politician? So it’s an interesting question of who gets the credit for asserting the benefits of investment.”
Summer News Editor Marissa Corsi can be contacted at Email:.
