Source: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Chair Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Chair Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) applauded full House passage of the INVEST in America Act by a bipartisan vote of 221-201.
The INVEST in America Act is a $715 billion surface transportation reauthorization and water infrastructure bill, with more than $44 billion added during the amendment process to make even greater investments in infrastructure, including EV charging and passenger rail grant programs, among other additions. This transformational legislation lays the groundwork for President Biden’s vision on infrastructure and will create good-paying jobs, restore America’s competitiveness in the global economy, and tackle the climate crisis head on by rebuilding and reimagining infrastructure in the U.S.
The INVEST in America Act includes a focus on fixing the roads and bridges we have; record investments in transit, rail, rural and underserved areas, and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; and Member Designated Projects, which allowed every House member equal opportunity to advocate for projects that make a difference in their communities. The bill also features strong Buy America standards, ensuring that the work modernizing our infrastructure carried out by American workers with American-made materials.
“The American people are sick and tired of potholes, getting stuck in traffic, delayed buses and slow trains, lead-tainted pipes and sewers that back up— the result of decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure, our communities, and our future,” Chair DeFazio said. “The good news is that this is an American problem America can fix. By passing the INVEST in America Act today, the House took a bold and badly-needed step to build for the future, tackle the existential threat of climate change by modernizing our transportation systems to cut carbon pollution, and improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people. I will waste no time getting to work with the Senate to deliver a transformational infrastructure package to the president’s desk.”
“The INVEST in America Act will revitalize and modernize our infrastructure, create new, good paying jobs, and take a leap forward in fulfilling President Biden’s promise to Build Back Better,” Chairman Pallone said. “I’m especially proud of the critical drinking water provisions that would meaningfully improve both our drinking water infrastructure and our standard-setting process, while also making water more affordable. The final legislation will also supercharge our electric vehicle infrastructure and invest in a clean energy technology accelerator that will launch an exciting new era for clean energy. Our economy, our workers, and our environment will be better off for it, and now I will work with the Senate to get a final bill to the President’s desk.”
“As chair of the subcommittee that wrote much of the INVEST in America Act, I’m deeply proud that it passed in the House today,” Subcommittee Chair Norton said. “The bill is an unprecedented investment in our infrastructure, providing a once-in-a-generation 54 percent increase in funding over the current level. It will help ensure that the future of transportation is greener, more equitable, more inclusive, and safer. Thank you to Chair DeFazio for your leadership on the bill and for including many provisions that will benefit the residents of the nation’s capital.”
“I am proud to co-lead this bill because it provides funding to repair our nation’s transportation system and complete critical infrastructure projects, like the Gateway Program,” Subcommittee Chair Payne said. “It is the single largest investment in passenger rail in our nation’s history and would enhance rail safety significantly. In addition, it would expand rail service into the underserved communities that need it the most. We need this funding now. The longer we wait, the more expensive these needed improvements will be.”
“Investing in America’s infrastructure is about more than fixing our crumbling roads and bridges, it’s about building America’s most sustainable, competitive economy for today and for generations to come. We know the infrastructure needs of our communities and nation will only grow greater and more urgent, and the longer we delay these critical investments, the higher the costs will rise and the farther we will fall behind the rest of the world,” Subcommittee Chairman Tonko said. “Our INVEST in America Act seizes the urgency of this moment to move forward with bold, meaningful and lasting investments in our most critical systems and the communities that depend on them. Its passage by the House today is a powerful step forward in our work to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen our drinking water infrastructure as we rebuild a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and more just economy for all. I am proud to join my colleagues to advance this legislation that will create new jobs, invest in our communities and make the American people safer and more prosperous. I stand ready to continue pushing to ensure this vital legislation makes it to the President’s desk without delay.”
“The INVEST in America Act is not only an investment in our nation’s roads and bridges but includes urgently needed investments in water infrastructure and automobile safety,” Subcommittee Chair Schakowsky said. “This monumental package puts American’s safety and well-being first. The transformative auto safety provisions I ushered through my subcommittee will prevent tens of thousands of deaths, millions of injuries, and hundreds of billions of dollars in costs to society each year. This legislation is about America’s future and puts us squarely on the road to building back better.”
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