Lawmakers get infrastructure meeting with White House

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Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow said he thinks President Donald Trump took to heart the suggestions that he and others made regarding infrastructure needs during a recent trip to the White House.

Farrow, along with state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, were among a group of local government officials who visited with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and various other federal officials during an “infrastructure summit” on Thursday.

The local officials discussed with various executive branch secretaries the nation’s waterways, railroads and roadways, among other things. The group of around 40 local elected officials — which included mayors from both rural and urban communities, county commissioners and state governors, Farrow noted —broke into smaller groups of eight to 10 to speak with individual department secretaries.

Farrow said he was with the group that met with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. He said he wanted to stress two things: That federal funding often comes with too many strings attached, and that federal money may be put to better use if given to states as block grants rather than having the money “compartmentalized.”

Farrow said states, each of which has their own unique transportation needs, can best determine what to do with federal money.

“You can’t have a one-size-fits-all process for the entire country,” he said.

After the breakout sessions, the coalition of local officials had a chance to present their ideas to the president. Farrow noted that Trump seemed engaged in the conversation, and at one point even asked a staffer if they were writing down these suggestions.

In planning for Waukesha County’s next budget, Farrow noted one of the biggest priorities is maintaining roads. He said that businesses frequently mention roads as a necessity to remain successful, be it to move their products or employees.

Before last week’s meeting, Vos said in a written statement that he planned to speak with Trump and others about the crucial infrastructure needs that Wisconsin faces.

“The state’s infrastructure is falling into disrepair and we need a long-term, sustainable solution to fund our transportation needs,” Vos said. “I look forward to learning more about the administration’s plans to give more power back to the states to innovate and reform.”

A spokesperson on Friday said Vos was not available to comment on the White House meeting.