Kilmer Votes To Pass Comprehensive Infrastructure And Jobs Package
On Wednesday, Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) voted to support H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which will invest more than $1.5 trillion to rebuild America’s infrastructure while creating millions of good-paying jobs.
“America can’t compete in a 21st century economy with 19th and 20th century infrastructure. The Moving Forward Act is an important step to begin modernizing our roads, bridges and water systems, investing in schools, and bridging the digital divide,” said Rep. Kilmer. “Importantly, an investment in infrastructure is also an investment in great jobs in our region. This bill will help create good-paying jobs, create a greener future, and take serious steps to invest in our future.”
The Moving Forward Act also included an amendment proposed by Rep. Kilmer to expand Airport Improvement Program (AIP) eligibility for critical infrastructure projects that increase the resiliency of airports against earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. The amendment would broaden eligibility to General Aviation airports that are designated as a federal staging area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, like William R. Fairchild airport in Port Angeles, to enable them to continue to build resiliency and serve their communities.
“As the representative of a region that is especially vulnerable to natural disasters, I know how critical our airports are to our emergency preparedness and disaster response,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’m proud to have been able to secure this provision to expand eligibility for Airport Improvement Program grants so that smaller airports serving the disaster preparedness needs of rural communities, like Fairchild in Port Angeles, aren’t left behind.”
The Moving Forward Act:
- Includes the INVEST in America Act, a nearly $500 billion investment to rebuild and reimagine the nation’s transportation infrastructure by fixing our crumbling roads and bridges, improving safety, reducing gridlock, and putting the U.S. on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector by cutting carbon pollution, investing in public transit and the national rail network, building out fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles, and deploying technology and innovative materials. The INVEST in America Act includes strong Buy America provisions and labor protections.
- Invests in schools with the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which funds $130 billion in school infrastructure targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that endanger the health and safety of students and educators. This investment will help students get back to school and create more than 2 million jobs to help workers get back to work.
- Addresses structural challenges and upgrades childcare facilities by leveraging a 5-year, $10 billion federal investment to generate additional state and private investments in making sure that childcare settings are safe, appropriate, and able to comply with current and future public health directives.
- Invests over $100 billion into our nation’s affordable housing infrastructure to create or preserve 1.8 million affordable homes. These investments will help reduce housing inequality, create jobs and stimulate the broader economy, increase community and household resiliency in the face of natural disasters, improve hazardous living conditions, and increase the environmental sustainability of our housing stock.
- Protects access to safe drinking water by investing over $25 billion in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and other programs to ensure all communities have clean drinking water and to help remove dangerous contaminants like PFAS from local water systems.
- Modernizes our energy infrastructure for a clean energy future by investing more than $70 billion to transform our electric grid to accommodate more renewable energy, expand renewable energy, strengthen existing infrastructure, help develop an electric vehicle charging network, and support energy efficiency, weatherization, and Smart Communities infrastructure.
- Delivers affordable high-speed broadband Internet access to all parts of the country by investing $100 billion to promote competition for broadband internet infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities, prioritizing those with persistent poverty. Gets children connected to remote learning, closes broadband adoption and digital skills gaps and enhances payment support for low-income households and the recently unemployed.
- Modernizes the nation’s health care infrastructure by investing $30 billion to upgrade hospitals to increase capacity and strengthen care, help community health centers respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies, improve clinical laboratory infrastructure, support the Indian Health Service‘s infrastructure, and increase capacity for community-based care.
- Modernizes and strengthens the United States Postal Service by investing $25 billion to modernize postal infrastructure and operations, including a zero emissions postal vehicle fleet, processing equipment and other goods.
- Promotes new renewable energy infrastructure by incentivizing the development of wind and solar on public lands and building a workforce for offshore wind.
- Promotes investments in our communities by spurring private investment through the tax code, through a revitalized Build America Bonds program, expansions of Private Activity Bonds, and significant enhancements to the New Markets Tax Credit and the Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
Source: The Surburban Times