It was a historic week in America as another inauguration day returned President Donald Trump to office.

A common practice when a new president takes office, especially when the administration represents a change in political party, is to waste little time signing Executive Orders. True to form, President Trump had a seemingly endless number of Executive Orders to sign, several of which sparked controversy.

One Executive Order, in particular, was of big interest to Minnesota as it seemingly halted several important infrastructure projects, including the much-needed replacement of the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth.

Order To Immediately Pause The Disbursement of Funds From 2021 Infrastructure Law

According to reports, one of Trump's Executive Orders commands agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds” under former President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law and his 2022 climate statute.

It's worth noting that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was a bipartisan effort, and is also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law authorizes $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending with $550 billion going toward "new" investments and programs.

B105 logo
Get our free mobile app

Politico points out that the wording of the order could put billions of dollars in jeopardy. That money serves as funding for projects that states have already begun working on.

In Minnesota, that law had helped pave the way for several important projects designed to repair aging infrastructure and allow for safe travel. On such a project was the much-needed replacement of Minnesota's second-longest bridge.

Replacement Of The Blatnik Bridge In Connecting Duluth To Superior

The Blatnik Bridge is jointly owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. It is Minnesota's second-longest bridge, serving an average of 33,000 cars traveling between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin each day.

Current estimates indicate that the Blatnik Bridge is expected to need replacement by 2030, meaning it will likely be out of service for a significant time soon if not replaced.

Good news arrived in early 2024, the MnDOT and WiDOT received more than $1 billion in federal funding to replace the aging bridge, with construction for a new bridge planned to begin around 2026.

At the time Republican Congressman Pete Stauber, who represents the Duluth area, boasted about the funding on social media, touting it as a "HUGE win for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District and the surrounding region." He added that he was personally "proud to help deliver these funds."

Congressman Stauber also shared a video where he threw a little shade at democrat leaders and Congress, while also stressing that while the infrastructure bill was passed into law by Congress, it didn't initially contain funding for the replacement of the Blatnik Bridge.

Stauber says Blatnik Bridge replacement money wouldn't have been allocated without his advocacy. He was able to reach across the aisle to work with key Democrat and Republican leaders to help the project get approved.

The video ends with Stauber saying in part, "While I will not vote for laws that contain harmful provisions, I still punch my timecard for my constituents every day. When a bill becomes a law of the land, I am going to fight to bring those federal dollars back to Minnesota projects rather than sit by and watch it spent on wasteful DEI trainings for Washington bureaucrats, or economy-crushing Green New Deal initiatives."

It's interesting to note that Stauber posted support for President Trump after several Executive Orders were signed, he has yet to mention the order that could impact the project the congressman vowed to fight for.

Are All The Projects From The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Really Dead?

Of course, it didn't take long for leaders and residents of Minnesota to react to the Executive Order that involved the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. On the evening of the inauguration, U.S. Senator Tina Smith posted the following on social media:

That post was shared everywhere, drawing countless comments and reactions. But, are all those projects, and others included in the law, really dead?

According to a story featured in Politico, leaders across the country say that reversing laws passed by Congress is beyond President Trump's power.

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, is quoted as saying “The law is very clear that he has to do what has been passed by Congress. He is not a king.”

Chris Spear, president of the American Trucking Associations says pausing funds could create really "sticky" situations and very serious issues with states where projects are already underway.

SEE NOW: Minnesota Residents Being Warned Not To Travel To These Locations

Other leaders, including Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker, hope that this disruption of funds is just “a brief pause” to allow the administration to review all the spending before resuming key projects.

Nicholas Bagley, a professor of administrative law at the University of Michigan, it's not uncommon for presidents to temporarily stop money from being spent, but he questions whether they can stop money that the government is legally required to spend.

Time will tell if this turns out to be a case of all smoke and no fire, or if it leads to states being forced to take legal action to try and get their funding from this recent law that was approved through Congress.

Minnesota Wildlife Bucket List, Have You Seen These Animals In the Wild?

Minnesota is known for some pretty majestic wildlife. The beautiful state is home to some really cool critters out in the wild. Get outdoors and see if you can complete the bucket list for Minnesota wild animals.

Gallery Credit: Ken Hayes

100+ Celebrities You Could Bump Into In Minnesota

From famous actors to musicians to artists that like to visit for fun, here is a long list of celebrities that love Minnesota as much as we do.

Gallery Credit: Lauren Wells

More From B105