McClatchy DC by Bryan Lowry and Douglas Hanks 11/29/2021
Mayors scramble for face time with Buttigieg with billions of infrastructure dollars at stake
With hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants up for grabs under the infrastructure law President Joe Biden signed this month, mayors from Sacramento to Miami-Dade are anxiously seeking face time with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor who could green-light their pet projects.
The competition started months before the infrastructure bill even passed, but now it’s kicked into high gear, with city leaders crafting ambitious plans in hopes of securing a windfall of federal funds.
“I think you have a bit of a scramble right now among mayors and leaders around metro areas around the country to make sure that not just our priorities but our faces are in front of folks,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told McClatchy.
Lucas, a Biden ally,was among the 50 mayors at the White House when the president signed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law, marking his second trip to Washington in two weeks.
Days before the House passed the legislation, Lucas met with senior officials at the Transportation Department pitching them on Kansas City’s priorities. Lucas said some constituents have complained about the frequency of his trips to Washington, but he argued the in-person interactions are essential for presenting the city’s agenda.
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