The Wall Street Journal reports:

President Biden named former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to supervise the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, turning to a veteran of Hurricane Katrina’s recovery to coordinate the rebuilding of roads, bridges and ports, the White House said.

Mr. Biden chose Mr. Landrieu, a former Louisiana lieutenant governor who led the city of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018, because of his experience running the city and his relationships with state and municipal leaders around the nation, the White House said. Mr. Landrieu will be a senior adviser responsible for the coordination of the new law, working through the National Economic Council, White House officials said.

The Sunday announcement comes ahead of a White House ceremony Monday in which Mr. Biden will sign the bill into law, joined by lawmakers from both parties, governors, mayors and business leaders.

A key factor in the decision was Mr. Landrieu’s role in helping New Orleans rebound from the devastating 2005 hurricane, the White House said. When he entered office, the officials noted that the mayor helped fast-track dozens of projects and secured billions of dollars in federal funding for schools, hospitals and infrastructure.

Marc Morial, New Orleans mayor from 1994 to 2002, said much of the Katrina recovery had stalled until Mr. Landrieu took office and that he helped jump-start rebuilding efforts, from rail projects to street and water repairs. [Continue reading…]