Congresswoman Escobar Attends President Biden’s Signing of Historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation to Create Millions of New Jobs and Rebuild America
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Congresswoman Escobar voted for on November 5, 2021, will create millions of good-paying union jobs with a once-in-a-century investment in rebuilding infrastructure in Texas, including roads and bridges, ports of entry, clean drinking water and wastewater systems, electric grid, and high-speed broadband networks.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) attended President Joe Biden’s bipartisan signing ceremony of H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Congresswoman Escobar voted for on November 5, 2021, will create millions of good-paying union jobs with a once-in-a-century investment in rebuilding infrastructure in Texas, including roads and bridges, ports of entry, clean drinking water and wastewater systems, electric grid, and high-speed broadband networks.
With $35 billion in new spending over 5 years in Texas, this bipartisan legislation will repair and modernize crumbling and outdated infrastructure across the nation, ensuring communities like El Paso have the infrastructure to succeed in the 21st century economy.
“Our nation’s crumbling and outdated infrastructure weakens our economy, hurts families, causes added costs and delays for businesses, and negatively impacts our environment,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “With President Biden’s signature, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will become law, delivering transformational investments to El Paso and communities across the country that will create good-paying jobs and strengthen our economy – without increasing taxes for everyday Americans. Now, Congress must continue to advance it’s mission to create a better future for all Americans and send the Build Back Better Act to the President’s desk.”
Together, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act are estimated to create an average of 2 million jobs each year over the next decade. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, poor infrastructure has struggled to keep up with a sharp increase in consumer demand – resulting in added costs for businesses and delays for consumers. The United States ranks 13th globally in terms of the quality of our infrastructure and the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Texas a C- grade on its infrastructure report card.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest $550 billion over 5 years:
Roads, Bridges, and Major Projects: Invest $110 billion as part of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act and Surface Transportation Investment Act. Funds new, dedicated grant program to replace and repair bridges and increases funding for the major project competitive grant programs. At the same time, the package preserves the 90/10 split of federal highway aid to states.
Public Transit: This $39.2 billion investment will fund our nation's transit system repair backlog, which DOT estimates is more than 24,000 buses, 5,000 rail cars, 200 stations, and thousands of miles of track, signals, and power systems. Expands transit systems, supports clean transit options, and increases accessibility for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Broadband: Grant $65 billion to states for broadband deployment, makes broadband access more affordable for low-income families, expands eligible private activity bond projects to include broadband infrastructure, and supports middle-mile deployment efforts.
Ports and Waterways: Provide $16.6 billion for port infrastructure, and land ports of entry, waterway and coastal infrastructure, and inland waterway improvements through the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Transportation, Coast Guard, General Services Administration, and Department of Homeland Security.
Safety: Provide $11 billion for highway and pedestrian safety programs, as well as pipeline safety and repair.
Airports: This $25 billion investment will increase funds for Airport Improvement grant program for runways, gates, and taxiways as well as a new Airport Terminal Improvement program for terminals, concessions, and multimodal connections. Improves Air Traffic Control infrastructure.
Water Infrastructure: This $55 billion investment includes $23.4 billion for the bipartisan Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021. Provides a historic $15 billion for lead service line replacement and $10 billion to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Supports water infrastructure in Tribal communities by providing $3.5 billion for the Indian Health Service Sanitation Facilities Construction program, in addition to providing funding to complete all currently- authorized Indian Water Rights Settlements.
Power and Grid: This $65 billion investment includes the bipartisan, ENR-passed Energy Infrastructure Act, which includes funds for grid reliability and resiliency and support for a Grid Deployment Authority; critical minerals and supply chains for clean energy technology; key technologies like carbon capture, hydrogen, direct air capture, and energy efficiency; and energy demonstration projects from the bipartisan Energy Act of 2020.
Resiliency: Provides $47.2 billion in funding for cybersecurity to address critical infrastructure needs, waste management, flood and wildfire mitigation, drought, and coastal resiliency, ecosystem restoration, heat stress, and weatherization.
Clean School Buses, and Ferries: Includes historic $5 billion for the replacement of existing school buses with zero emission and clean school buses, with a priority on low income, rural and Tribal schools. Provides $2.5 billion for the replacement of existing ferries with low carbon ferries and to assist states with operational costs for essential rural ferries.
Electric Vehicle Charging: Provides $7.5 billion to fund for alternative fuel corridors and to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to facilitate long-distance travel and to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop.
Reconnecting Communities: Provides a total of $1 billion between contract authority and new appropriations. Funds for projects that remove barriers to opportunity caused by legacy infrastructure. The program will provide dedicated funding for planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure.
Addressing Legacy Pollution: Provides $21 billion to clean up brownfield and superfund sites, reclaim abandoned mine lands, and plug orphan oil and gas wells, improving public health and creating good-paying jobs.
Western Water Infrastructure: Provides $8.3 billion for Bureau of Reclamation western water infrastructure, including for aging infrastructure, water storage, water recycling and reuse, waterSMART, and drought contingency plans, among other things.
Passenger and freight rail: The $66 billion investment provides funding for the Amtrak National Network for new service and dedicated funding to the Northeast Corridor, which has incurred a severe repair backlog after Hurricane Sandy. Increases funding for freight rail and safety.
