The so-called “Regional Commissions” are in line to get additional funding from the BIF. These commissions were set up – sometimes decades ago – by powerful politicians to send additional development funds to their particular regions. Nevermind that there are existing national authorities that do this very same thing for the whole country. These commissions just add additional layers and actors. A few years ago, the Denali Commission Inspector General called on Congress to eliminate the agency and his job, telling them: “I have concluded that (my agency) is a congressional experiment that hasn’t worked out in practice… I recommend that Congress put its money elsewhere.”

So, exactly how would the new funds from the BIF be spent by these Commissions? Well, we’re not sure. The bill language devoted to each one only says the money must be, “designated by Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115^th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, and to section 251(b) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.”

So, this is for emergency use only. Since it’s part of an infrastructure package, we’re going to make the leap that it should only be used for infrastructure emergencies but…other than that…not many strings seem to be put on this money.

The amounts appropriated are:

Appalachian Regional Commission – $1 billion ($200 million per year in fiscal years 2022-2026)

Delta Regional Authority – $150 million

Denali Commission – $75 million

Northern Border Regional Commission – $150 million

Southeast Crescent Regional Commission – $5 million

Southwest Border Regional Commission – $1.2 billion

Note that the Appalachian Regional Commission money is specifically doled out over five fiscal years. None of the other Regional Commissions have such restrictions, including the whopping $1.2 billion for the Southwest Border Regional Commission.

We hope, but are not actually hopeful, there will be robust oversight of these new funds.