The Biden White House took another step to resolve supply chain complications, which threatened to disrupt the distribution of goods during the holidays. Soon after President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure package into law in November, the White House announced new guidance to expedite freight flow at critical hubs.
A new executive order related to implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directs federal agencies to prioritize programs and rules to strengthen commercial supply chains and domestic manufacturing. White House officials emphasized the order responds to freight bottlenecks, which they attributed partly to the pandemic.
Therefore, according to the executive order, the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act “will help to rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; work to ensure access to high–speed internet throughout the nation; tackle the climate crisis; advanced environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.” The Biden administration has announced that it would prioritize near-term modernization and expansion projects for ports essential to freight distribution.
However, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has accentuated the potential economic benefits of the president’s Build Back Better plan. A pillar of the president’s policy proposal is under consideration in the U.S. senate. The secretary has pointed that from providing childcare and universal pre-L to expanding health care coverage and reducing the cost of energy, the Build Back Better Act will make it easier for Americans to return to the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic.
By and large, Sen. John Thune, who is among Republicans in the chamber calling for additional aid for industries scrambling to transport freight, has pointed out that America is now facing an unprecedented supply chain crisis. Thus, many people encounter empty store shelves, waiting for longer times while having higher costs since the holiday season is approaching the troublesome supply chain bottleneck must-have solutions. According to Graves, a ranking member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, besides criticizing the president’s response to supply chain disruptions to stop pursuing the numerous burdensome regulations, policies, and spending priorities exacerbating this supply chain crisis.
