Mr. Biden told reporters last week that he believed it was important for someone to make sure that taxpayer money is not wasted.
“I made it a point every day to stay on top of how exactly the money was spent, what projects were being built, what projects were not being built and how it was functioning,” he said, adding: “We owe it to the American people to make sure the money in this infrastructure plan and the Build Back Better plan — which, God willing, we’re going to be able to still finish — will be able to be used for purposes it was intended.”
In a statement distributed by the White House on Sunday, Mr. Landrieu pledged to work with elected officials and private companies to ensure that the money appropriated by Congress was well spent.
“Our work will require strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business and labor to create good-paying jobs and rebuild America for the middle class,” he said. “We will also ensure these major investments achieve the president’s goals of combating climate change and advancing equity.”
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, said in a statement that Mr. Landrieu was the right choice to oversee the infrastructure spending, referring to the legislation by an acronym for its full title, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.