Every $10 billion invested in preservation avoids higher emergency appropriations and sustains thousands of jobs in congressional districts. That is the scale of what is at stake.
As of October 3, 2025, the U.S. Federal Government entered a shutdown after Congress failed to reach a spending deal, furloughing nearly 900,000 employees and stalling federal construction oversight (Construction Dive, 2025; Politico, 2025). While many services pause, one thing must not: our strategic commitment to infrastructure. Infrastructure is not a political bargaining chip; it is the foundation of economic recovery, public safety, and long‑term national resilience.
From my earlier role as Director of Research & Development, I had the opportunity to study the mechanisms of sectoral growth, particularly in construction and infrastructure, and to observe how these dynamics create ripples across industries and influence political outcomes. That experience solidified a core belief: infrastructure is never an isolated sector; it is the backbone that sustains every other.
The ASCE 2025 Report Card raised America's infrastructure grade to a "C" , the highest since 1998 - citing over 60,000 projects funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (ASCE, 2025; USDOT, 2024). This proves that focused investment works. Yet a $3.7 trillion investment gap remains, threatening to reverse these hard‑won gains ( ASCE, Economic study, 2024).
The data confirms the strategy. Economic studies by ASCE's Failure to Act series and Moody's Analytics, 2021 show that every $1 invested in infrastructure generates $2–$3 in GDP. The United Kingdom offers a parallel lesson: in 2024, a 16.9% increase in infrastructure investment lifted market‑sector output to £20.3 billion, supported by a pipeline exceeding £700 billion (Office for national statistics, 2025). These are not theoretical models; they are real‑world validations. By Q2 2025, UK construction growth of 1.2% helped the economy outperform forecasts (Building News, 2025).
This logic extends beyond infrastructure writ large. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation reported in 2024 that every $1 in disaster preparedness yields $13 in avoided damages and preserved jobs, $6 from reduced damages and $7 from sustained economic output (U.S. Chamber Foundation, 2024). That return underscores that preservation and resilience are fiscally conservative strategies - not expenses.
A Bipartisan Bridge
Today, one side of the aisle calls for expanded safety grants, while the other resists new spending. But these priorities are not in conflict. Smart infrastructure investment multiplies the impact of safety grants:
· Safer bridges reduce accident claims and emergency appropriations.
· Modernized water systems cut boil‑water advisories and hospitalizations.
· Resilient hospitals and power grids prevent ICU disruptions and lower FEMA's future burden.
Infrastructure upgrades improve grant efficiency by lowering baseline risk, making every safety dollar go further. In short, infrastructure is the multiplier that makes safety grants more effective and less costly over time ; a win for fiscal discipline and public health alike.
To Policymakers and Colleagues
As the share of industry and construction in U.S. GDP continues to decline , from nearly 18% to below 14% over the past two decades (World Bank, 2024) , the urgency to reinvest in infrastructure becomes undeniable. Without targeted preservation and modernization, other sectors will lose ground on their economic potential. Given the interdependent dynamics of construction and infrastructure, such decline will inevitably cascade across the wider economy, with direct and indirect impacts shaped by the behavior of each sector in turn.
· Every infrastructure project sustains jobs in a congressional district.
· Every upgraded bridge or treatment plant reduces future federal liabilities.
· Every dollar invested today signals to markets and allies that America is committed to its future.
Practical Examples
Water system upgrades → steady pay and project continuity Upgrading treatment plants, replacing aging pipes, and restoring system pressure eliminate frequent boil‑water advisories. When households and workplaces no longer face sudden advisories, worker illness and absenteeism fall, subcontractor stoppages decline, and construction schedules run with fewer unplanned delays. Reduced disruption to project timelines directly preserves payroll continuity for local crews and stabilizes contractor cash flow in the same quarter.
Road and transit repairs → shorter commutes and steadier wages Repairing key arterial roads and maintaining transit corridors reduces traffic incidents and peak‑hour congestion. Shorter, more predictable commutes increase on‑time labor availability and lower contractor overtime and delay costs. Improved access and punctuality accelerate milestone achievement, reduce schedule risk, and translate into more consistent payments to local workers.
Strategic Recommendations
1. Protect baseline funding for system preservation and climate resilience. Prioritize formula preservation grants to state DOTs and water utilities tied to asset‑management plans.
2. Launch an "Innovation & Delivery" fund to accelerate adoption of BIM, predictive asset management, and outcome‑based procurement. Three‑year pilot grants with matched state/local commitments.
3. Tie funding to measurable performance metrics, targeting for example:
o ≥ 10% reduction in lifecycle costs
o ≥ 15% faster project delivery
o ≥ 20% fewer emergency failures
4. Ensure accountability and transparency through quarterly KPI dashboards, independently verified and publicly accessible, tying future tranches to results.
5. Strengthen delivery capacity by pairing funding with permitting coordination, workforce upskilling, and standardized procurement to compress timelines and de‑risk execution.
6. Advance equity and resilience by prioritizing critical lifelines and assets whose failure disproportionately harms historically underserved communities.
Closing Reflection
A government shutdown may pause federal salaries temporarily, but halting infrastructure investment pauses national progress for a generation.
Every $10 billion invested in preservation avoids higher emergency appropriations and sustains thousands of jobs. That is not just arithmetic; it is a generational strategy for resilience.
Infrastructure funding is not an expense. It is a strategy - economic, humanitarian, and dignified.
I sincerely hope this contribution serves as a thoughtful addition to the collective efforts aimed at breaking the political gridlock that delays the development millions urgently need. May the well‑being of citizens remain the highest purpose above political victories and rooted in the dignity of public service.
Respectfully,
Abubakr Elfatih Ahmed Gameil, R.Eng, M. ASCE, SEI
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Abubakr Gameil, R. ENG, M. ASCE®️, SEI Member
Chairman & Director General
Almanassa Engineering International Co. Ltd
Khartoum, Sudan
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