Five Cabinet members to testify at infrastructure hearing next week

Five Cabinet secretaries are set to testify before a Senate committee next week on President Trump’s plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) announced Friday that Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue would appear before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee next Wednesday.

The Cabinet officials will join Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who were already expected to appear before the panel.

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“Testimony from these five cabinet secretaries will support a comprehensive public discussion with senators about the White House proposal for aligning federal resources with local infrastructure needs and helping complete projects faster,” Thune, the committee’s chairman, said in a statement.

“The Commerce Committee welcomes the eagerness of Secretaries Chao, Ross, Acosta, Perdue, and Perry to discuss the roles of their departments in the improvement of our infrastructure to support the economy.”

The White House unveiled last month a $1.5 trillion plan to overhaul the nation’s aging infrastructure. The proposal includes a $200 billion direct federal investment, half of which would go toward an incentive program to match financing from state and local governments investing in rebuilding projects.

A quarter of the appropriations would be used for rural projects in the form of block grants to states so governors may decide where to invest.