Watch: A conversation on redefining infrastructure

On Wednesday, June 9, Axios co-founder Mike Allen and politics reporter Hans Nichols explored the Biden administration’s infrastructure proposal, from the policies on the table to the bipartisan negotiations to get it passed, featuring White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and chair Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby.

Brian Deese discussed President Biden's commitment to outreach to Republicans, as well as the importance of investing in the future of American infrastructure.

• "This is a global race to win the markets of the twenty-first century...I think that these investments are calibrated for the moment we find ourselves in to win that future, to win the clean energy markets of the future."

Rep. DeFazio unpacked debate over the surface transportation bill and various sticking points for both parties.

• The major stumbling block with my committee Republicans is climate change. They do not want my surface transportation bill to address climate change because they can't say or they don't believe in it...We can work together on a lot of things, but they just will not address climate change.

Rep. Davis discussed the concerns from local officials and county commissioners, country commissioners in his district with regards to infrastructure funding.

• "They talked about the need for a more certain regulatory environment. They're concerned that they can't get projects approved, especially as we're getting out of COVID."

Axios CEO and co-founder Jim VandeHei hosted a View from the Top segment with Scott Kirby, who highlighted the role of the airline industry in infrastructure debates, as well as their dedication to safe travel.

• "The biggest thing that we're focused on in the near term is really in the infrastructure bill and what can be done around climate change initiatives. And in the shorter term, how do we get borders open?... [So] we can start to safely open those up, get those parts of the economy cranking up again, get people back to connecting."

Thank you United Airlines for sponsoring this event.