Mr. Landrieu called Mr. Ricketts in November to discuss how the two sides could coordinate efforts. While the governor said he appreciated the call, he is not optimistic that the Biden administration will give states the flexibility they need.
“Outreach doesn’t matter if you’re going to restrict us,” Mr. Ricketts said.
Republican lawmakers, several of whom voted with Democrats to pass the law, have sided with the states. Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia wrote their own letter to governors telling them to ignore the administration’s memo, which they said had “no effect of law.” On Feb. 18, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Capito and 27 other Republican senators sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticizing the memo.
Mr. Landrieu, in an interview with The New York Times, said the letter from the governors did not surprise him. “There will always be a conflict in that zone,” he said about the tension between the federal government and states.
Resolving that conflict will be a delicate balancing act. He acknowledged that governors would “have the ultimate decision” and that some communities, such as those with fewer roads and bridges to repair, would need more flexibility.
“In those instances, it makes perfect sense for them to do that. In other states, it doesn’t.” Mr. Landrieu said. “There’s got to be flexibility in there, and we recognize that.”
But he made clear that the Biden administration would continue to try to influence the types of projects the funds went toward, including by issuing federal guidance and recommendations.
“The federal government does have the power to set what they call guidance and rules and regulations,” Mr. Landrieu said.