Former New Orleans Mayor to Oversee IIJA Implementation

President Joe Biden on Nov. 14 appointed former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to serve as Senior Advisor, coordinating implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the bi-partisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that Congress passed on Nov. 5.

IIJA, which President Biden is expected to sign on Nov. 15, includes $110 billion for roads, bridges and major infrastructure projects; $39 billion for public transit modernization; $66 billion for passenger/freight rail; $17 billion for port infrastructure; and $25 billion for airports. 

Landrieu will “oversee the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations—work that independent experts verify will create millions of high-paying, union jobs while boosting our economic competitiveness in the world, strengthening our supply chains, and acting against inflation for the long term,” the White House reported.

Landrieu served as the 61st Mayor of New Orleans (2010-2018), taking office when the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. “He hit the ground running, fast-tracking over 100 projects and securing billions in federal funding for roads, schools, hospitals, parks and critical infrastructure, turning New Orleans into one of America’s great comeback stories,” the White House said.

Landrieu also went on to chair the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and was recognized as Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year in 2015. As the former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (2004-2010), “he also knows what it’s like to lead at the state level and will be able to work with and relate to Governors and other state officials,” according to the White House. “And he has strong relationships in the business and labor communities, which will be essential in carrying out this [Senior Advisor] job.”

In 2018, Landrieu launched E Pluribus Unum, which is described as building programs and initiatives in the South “to fulfill America’s promise of justice and opportunity for all by breaking down the barriers that divide us by race and class.”

“I am thankful to the President and honored to be tasked with coordinating the largest infrastructure investment in generations,” Landrieu said. “Our work will require strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business, and labor to create good-paying jobs and rebuild America for the middle class. We will also ensure these major investments achieve the President’s goals of combating climate change and advancing equity.”