Trump to sign executive order Tuesday on infrastructure projects

[August 15, 2017]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Tuesday "establishing discipline and accountability in the environmental review and permitting process for infrastructure projects," the White House said in a statement on Monday.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey U.S. August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Trump, who is visiting his residence at Trump Tower in New York City, will also participate in a discussion on infrastructure and give a statement on the subject at 3:45 p.m. (1945 GMT). The White House did not give additional details on the executive order.

Trump, who was a real estate developer before becoming president, made rebuilding the country's crumbling infrastructure a top campaign issue.

He has proposed leveraging $200 billion in government spending into $1 trillion of projects to privatize the air traffic control system, strengthen rural infrastructure and repair bridges, roads and waterways.

In June, Trump said one of the biggest obstacles to new infrastructure projects was "the painfully slow, costly and time-consuming process for getting permits and approvals to build."

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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