; the Transcontinental Railroad; the Hoover Dam; rural electrification; manufacturing start-ups; and rail, school, and farm improvements in every corner of our country. Investments created the conditions for improved productivity, economic growth, and job creation; helped lift us out of the Great Depression; and contributed to our victory in World War II. (3) The American Society of Civil Engineers (hereinafter referred to as ASCE ), in its 2021 Report Card and Failure to Act Series, estimates that $6,109,000,000,000 (expressed in 2019 dollars) is needed over the next ten years (2020–2029) to meet all of our country’s infrastructure needs. Of that amount, $3,483,000,000,000 is expected to be financed by: the Federal government through its normal budget appropriations process; and by States, counties, cities, utilities, and port and airport authorities through their general revenues, special taxes, user fees, and borrowing. Even with this spending, however, a financing gap of $2,626,000,000,000 remains. To close this gap, our nation will need to increase investment, by all levels of government, from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2025. (4) ASCE further estimates that the added $2,626,000,000,000 (expressed in 2019 dollars) needed over a ten-year period to bring systems up to a state of good repair is broken out as follows (amounts in parentheses): (A) Roads, bridges, and transit ($1,035,000,000,000). (B) Drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems ($801,000,000,000). (C) Schools ($250,000,000,000). (D) Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution ($197,000,000,000). (E) Aviation ($111,000,000,000). (F) Dams, levees, inland waterways, and ports ($109,000,000,000). (G) Passenger rail ($45,000,000,000). (H) Public parks and recreation ($78,000,000,000). (5) Expanded investment of at least $2,374,000,000,000 (expressed in 2019 dollars) is also needed for— (A) new affordable housing ($720,000,000,000); (B) a 17,000-mile high-speed rail network ($1,074,000,000,000)