Unleash Private Capital to Rebuild America's Infrastructure

In this Newsmax Finance op-ed, Bob Hellman urges policymakers to unleash private capital to rebuild American infrastructure, writing against the backdrop of uncertainty over federal funding as the Trump administration paused Biden-era infrastructure disbursements. The American Infrastructure Partners CEO argues that public money alone cannot close the gap.

He points in particular to an often-overlooked category he calls social infrastructure, which includes the school and hospital buildings, affordable and workforce housing, and community centers that communities depend on but that rarely command the attention given to roads and bridges. Private investors, Hellman contends, are well positioned to finance and deliver these facilities at scale, moving faster and more efficiently than government procurement typically allows.

His broader message is that private capital should be treated not as a stopgap but as a central part of how the country funds and maintains the buildings and systems people rely on every day.