The infrastructure law of 2021 makes it hard to build anything.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 is reshaping how America builds—but not in the way its supporters hoped. Few big projects have been completed, and one little-noted aspect of the law, expanding mandates to use American-made products, has confused federal, state and local governments, and created new levels of bureaucratic waste.
Since the 1970s the Buy America program has required that federally funded transportation projects use steel, iron and manufactured goods made in the U.S. But the new version—Build America, Buy America, adorably called BABA for short—added to the all-American list construction materials and specific products such as glass, lumber and drywall while tightening oversight of the program.
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Judge Glock is the director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal.
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