Obama's 2016 Budget Focuses on Modernizing America's Infrastructure
Last month, the Obama administration released its proposed budget for fiscal year 2016. This plan is part of a broader vision to bring "middle-class economics into the 21st century" by investing in key sectors such as research, education, workforce development, and, most notably, infrastructure upgrades.
As stated on whitehouse.gov, "A 21st-century economy requires a 21st-century infrastructure." This message resonates strongly with organizations like HJ3, which recognize that the U.S. is facing a growing infrastructure crisis. Aging roads, bridges, and communication systems are not only costly to maintain but also pose serious risks to public safety and economic growth.
The proposed budget highlights five key areas where infrastructure needs urgent attention:
- Modernizing ports
- Strengthening bridges
- Improving roadways
- Developing faster rail systems
- Expanding high-speed broadband access
The administration believes these investments will lead to significant benefits, including job creation, stronger communities, and improved business efficiency. By focusing on long-term infrastructure improvements, the plan aims to lay the foundation for sustained economic growth.
To fund these efforts, the budget includes a $478 billion, six-year surface transportation reauthorization. This initiative is supported by new revenue from business tax reforms, ensuring that companies pay taxes on their overseas profits rather than deferring them indefinitely. The funding will be used to restore existing infrastructure and make new investments in highways, freight systems, and rail networks.
In addition, the proposal introduces a Rebuild America Partnership, which will create an independent National Infrastructure Bank to attract private investment. It also includes new bond programs—such as America Fast Forward bonds and Qualified Public Infrastructure Bonds—to encourage capital inflows at the state and local levels.
To speed up project approvals, the administration is committed to streamlining federal permitting processes. This includes reducing bureaucratic delays, expediting reviews, and ensuring that infrastructure projects benefit both communities and the environment.
While $478 billion may seem like a large sum, it’s just a small fraction of the estimated trillions needed to fully modernize America’s aging infrastructure. Still, this budget marks an important step forward in addressing a critical national challenge.
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An abrasion resistant, quenched and tempered, high strength, fine grained steel Wear Plate and Abrasion Resistant Wear Plate offers lower cost wear protection. With a hardness of 250 to 320 BHN, it will outlast hot rolled carbon plate but can still be drilled, punched, or machined for liners and wear plates. Strength characteristics of this plate make it an excellent choice for structural use.
Provides superior hardness to toughness ratio. NM Steel Plate is liquid-quenched and tempered and through-hardened. The result is a plate with excellent abrasion resistance and high impact resistance. The outstanding wear characteristics can be attributed to the balanced chemistry and very fine distribution of Chromium, Boron, Titanium and Molybdenum. The resulting carbides reinforce the plate structure and provide uniform through-hardness.
Provides maximum wear resistance from impact and sliding. The fine grained, thru-hardened alloy steel chemistry makes this plate have the optimum hardness/toughness ratio.
The Standard grade of NM Steel
DIN: XAR300,XAR400,
XAR450, XAR500, XAR600, DILLIDUR400V,DILLIDUR450V,DILLIDUR500V; X120Mn12;
1.3401;
SSAB:400,450,500,550,600;WELDOX700,WELDOX900,WELDOX960;
NF: FORA400,FORA500,Creusabro4800,Creusabro8000;
EN: QUARD400,QUARD450,QUARD500 ; RAEX320,RAEX400,RAEX450,RAEX500;
DUrostat400,DUrostat450,DUrostat500;
JIS: JFE-EH360,JFE-EH400,JFE-EH500, WEL-HARD400, WEL-HARD500;
SUMIHARD-K340,SUMIHARD-K400,SUMIHARD-K500
GB:
NM360,NM400,M450,NM500,NM550,NM600,NR360,NR400,B-HARD360,B-HARD400,B-HARD450,KN-55,KN-60,KN-63.
Thickness: common 2~100 mm (1~300 mm)
Surface: Clean, finishing, blasting and painting according to customer requirement
Application: Widely used in a variety of architectural and
engineering structures,such as
1) metal constructions such as buildings,
bridges, ships
2) transmission tower, reaction tower
Impact Wear Resistant Steel Plate,NM400 Wear Resistant Steel Plate, Wear-Resistant Steel Plate,Wear-Resistant Steel Plate
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