Trump DOT opens $5.4 billion in bridge repair grants, strips DEI rules
Duffy pulls equity and climate requirements, 46,000 deficient bridges eligible
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the availability of $5.4 billion in bridge funding in June 2025, drawing on money Congress authorized in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The money is split between two programs: $4.9 billion for large bridge projects (those costing over $100 million) through the Bridge Investment Program, and $500 million for rural bridge repair through the Competitive Highway Bridge Program.
Key Concepts
Essential concepts and terms to understand this topic
Federalism and State Power
The constitutional system that divides power between national and state governments, determining who controls immigration, healthcare, voting, and other major policies.
Federal Limits
The constitutional principle that federal power is limited to powers explicitly granted in the Constitution.
Federal Question Jurisdiction
Federal courts' constitutional authority to hear cases involving federal law, treaties, and the Constitution itself.
Procedural Due Process
Fair procedures that government must follow—notice, hearing, neutral decision-maker—before taking someone's life, liberty, or property.
Federalism
Power is divided between the federal government and state governments, each exercising authority in designated areas.
Key People
5SD
Sean Duffy
U.S. Secretary of Transportation (confirmed January 2025)
Duffy made the June 2025 announcement opening the $5.4 billion in bridge funding. He explicitly framed the policy change as removing 'woke DEI and Green New Scam initiatives' from the application process. Duffy, a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, was confirmed by the Senate in January 2025 and has consistently reoriented DOT grant programs away from Biden-era equity and climate requirements.
SB
Shailen Bhatt
Federal Highway Administration Administrator
FHWA oversees the Bridge Investment Program and Competitive Highway Bridge Program day-to-day. Bhatt's agency processes applications, evaluates projects, and awards grants. FHWA also enforces federal construction standards and Buy America requirements that ensure steel and iron used in bridge projects is domestically produced.
Pete Buttigieg
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation (2021-2025)
Buttigieg's DOT created the equity and climate requirements that the Trump administration stripped out. Under Buttigieg, bridge grant applications required environmental justice assessments, union job creation plans, and climate impact analyses. Those requirements reflected the Biden administration's whole-of-government approach to using infrastructure spending to advance social goals.
Senator Rob Portman
Former Republican Senator from Ohio; lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Portman was the key Senate Republican who negotiated the infrastructure deal with the Biden White House. His willingness to cut a deal over Republican opposition helped create the bipartisan coalition that passed the law — and created the bridge funding programs that both the Biden and Trump administrations are now implementing.
AS
American Society of Civil Engineers
Independent engineering organization; publishes the Infrastructure Report Card
ASCE issues its Infrastructure Report Card every four years, grading each category of U.S. infrastructure. Their 2025 report gave bridges a C grade and documented 46,000-plus structurally deficient bridges. Their data gives the public and policymakers an independent measure of infrastructure need that drives the case for continued federal investment.
Claims & Perspectives
False
False
The $5.4 billion in bridge grants comes from the Trump administration's own funding, not leftover Biden money
The $5.4 billion was authorized by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden. The Trump administration is implementing a program Congress created and funded years earlier. Duffy's announcement opened applications for money that Congress appropriated — the Trump administration changed the application requirements but did not create or fund the program.
Disputed
Disputed
Removing DEI requirements will speed up bridge construction
The Trump administration argues that DEI requirements added bureaucratic burden that slowed projects. Critics argue the equity and climate requirements ensured projects benefited all communities and used clean construction practices. There is no established evidence that DEI requirements materially delayed bridge construction timelines — the bigger factors are engineering complexity, permitting, and supply chains.
True
True
Every state is guaranteed to receive some bridge funding
Under the Bridge Formula Program, every state, D.C., and Puerto Rico receives formula funding with a guaranteed minimum of $45 million per year. The competitive Bridge Investment Program is separate — there states must apply and compete. But the formula program ensures baseline funding reaches every state regardless of application quality or political connections.
What you can do
Find out how your state and county are using bridge repair money
civic action
Every state receives formula bridge funding automatically each year. Your state DOT publishes its bridge repair program and which bridges are scheduled for work. You can also look up the condition of specific bridges using FHWA's National Bridge Inventory database, which lists every public bridge in the country and its condition rating.
Contact your local government about applying for the Competitive Highway Bridge Program
civic action
The $500 million Competitive Highway Bridge Program specifically targets locally-owned bridges not on federal highways. Counties and cities that own bridges can apply for 100% federal funding for repairs — no local match required. If your county has deficient bridges, urge local officials to apply.
Tell your representative how you feel about removing equity and climate requirements from infrastructure grants
civic action
The Trump administration removed DEI, environmental justice, and climate requirements from bridge grant applications. If you think those requirements were important (or if you think they were unnecessary burdens), tell your member of Congress. Congress authorized the programs and can set requirements through legislation that the executive branch must follow.