This week, as President Biden signs the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a conversation about the historic context of the legislation and what it can mean to Michigan. 

Andy Doctoroff, a Huntington Woods lawyer who teaches a class that he created at the University of Michigan Law School focusing on infrastructure, joins the conversation to offer his insights.  

Doctoroff explains why he believes the $550 billion in new money authorized in the legislation is historically significant. He talks about the challenge of reaching a compromise with such heightened partisanship and the need for strong leadership to ensure the success of the program. 

Comparing the approach to investing in building infrastructure in other countries, he offers insight on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a multi-trillion-dollar global infrastructure development strategy. 

He also talks about how the IIJA compares to other historic infrastructure investments, including the Transcontinental Railroad, the Rural Electrification Act, and the Interstate Highway System, as outlined in this VOA video. 

Emphasizing the enhanced human connectivity offered by the broadband investments, as well as the rebuilding of roads and bridges.  

Later, Doctoroff, who also has a contract with the State of Michigan to help oversee construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, offers a progress update.