Jayapal Votes to Deliver Historic Investments in Washington’s Infrastructure
While creating millions of new jobs, the transformative package provides more than half a trillion dollars in new federal funding for roads, bridges, highways, waterways, public transportation, broadband, clean water, clean energy, and rail
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) voted today to send a historic $1.2 trillion infrastructure package to President Joe Biden’s desk. This transformative legislation delivers critical federal investments in Washington’s roads, bridges, highways, waterways, culverts, public transportation systems, clean energy infrastructure, and broadband while also creating millions of good paying, union jobs. As it delivers the largest federal investment in public transit in American history, it also makes the largest dedicated bridge investment since the creation of the interstate highway.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $110 billion in new funding for roads, bridges, and major projects including $40 billion of new funding for repairing and replacing bridges. It also provides nearly $90 billion in funding for public transportation over the next five years, $7.5 billion for electric vehicle chargers, and over $50 billion for making communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Additionally, the legislation includes a $17 billion investment in port infrastructure and carbon emission reduction initiatives such as port electrification.
“This popular legislation delivers on our promise to provide a historic, deeply necessary, and long overdue investment in our state’s roads, bridges, waterways, and public transit systems that will directly impact our communities while taking a first step to address the climate crisis and creating millions of good paying, union jobs,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “By investing more than half a trillion dollars in improving our infrastructure, making America’s largest ever investment in public transit, and providing the largest bridge funding since the mid-1900s, we will finally be able to send our communities, cities, and state the resources necessary to not only build back better but greener. There is still more work to be done to invest in families, and I will continue fighting for them while ensuring that this new infrastructure funding reaches projects throughout Washington.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. It includes the following:
- Historic Investments in Roads and Highways: $110 billion in new funds for repairing and building roads, bridges, and major projects while also reauthorizing the surface transportation program for the next five year and investing nearly $5 billion for Washington’s highways.
- The Single Largest Dedicated Bridge Investment Since the Construction of the Interstate Highway System: $40 billion of new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, including around $600 million for replacing and repairing Washington’s bridges.
- The Largest Ever Federal Investment in Public Transportation: Nearly $90 billion in guaranteed funding for public transportation over the next five years while modernizing transit, prioritizing clean energy, and including around $380 million for Sound Transit with the opportunity to apply for additional grants.
- Unprecedented Investments in Clean Energy Infrastructure and Climate Resilience: While making the largest investment in clean energy transmission and electric vehicle infrastructure in history, there is also $5 billion for zero emission and clean buses, $2.5 billion for ferries, $7.5 billion for the first-ever national network of electric vehicle chargers including around $71 million to improve Washington’s electric vehicle charging network, and over $50 billion for making communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change and cyber attacks.
- Necessary Investments in Waterways, Airports, and Ports: $17 billion in port infrastructure and investments in electrification and carbon-reduction technologies, and an additional $25 billion of investments in airports including around $228 million for Seattle-Tacoma International and around $16 million for Paine Field. This funding can be used for noise mitigation measures in neighboring communities. There is also a $1 billion fund to replace or remove culverts, $89 million in grants to the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in restoring the Puget Sound, and $400 million for community-based restoration programs that include the removal of fish passage barriers.
- The Largest Ever Investment in Clean Drinking Water and Waste Water: $55 billion for clean drinking water, including dedicated funding to replace lead service lines and cleaning up the toxic legacy of chemicals that have contaminated drinking water.
- Investments to Ensure Every American Has Access to High-Speed Internet: $65 billion to help provide broadband deployment and ensure every American has access to reliable, high-speed internet. More than one in four households will also be eligible for a new Affordable Connectivity Benefit to lower prices for internet service.
- The Largest Federal Investment in Passenger Rail Since the Creation of Amtrak: $66 billion including $24 billion as federal-state partnerships, $12 billion for intercity rail service, and additional funding for freight rail.
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