Billions in federal dollars are committed each year to support education, infrastructure, and research. The role of the federal government in these investments is often greatly debated due to the varying congressional perspectives. Federal funding is often aligned with federal regulatory requirements ensuring proper resourcing for mandates to the states in areas of federal interest. Funding for investments is provided directly or through state or local government grants with the 2017 budget at $94.6 billion (Blauhous, 2017). Critical to debate on cuts to any program is an agreement on priorities and the federal value of each investment. Education and infrastructure improvements are important to the economy and future of our nation. Any
