WASHINGTON – After months of deliberation in Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, better known as “the infrastructure bill.” Passage of the bill led to a vocal response across the American political world over the weekend, including among New Hampshire’s congressional delegation.
The more than $1 trillion bill includes:
- $110 billion to repair roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure
- $66 billion for passenger and freight rail expansion,
- $65 billion to upgrade broadband internet,
- $55 billion to upgrade water infrastructure,
- $10 billion for PFAS remediation
- $15 billion for lead service line replacement
- $65 billion in power grid investment
- $492 million to address flooding in coastal communities
- $148 million to restore fish passages in dams and other waterways
…among other various items.
Members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation said that the legislation is the product of months of bipartisan negotiation.
“The historic nature of this bipartisan infrastructure deal cannot be overstated – this is the largest investment in public transit; the largest investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; the largest investment in clean energy and the largest investment in our bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system,” said Shaheen. “It also makes meaningful advances to connect communities with high-speed internet and put every family and business on the grid. And that’s just a drop in the bucket. There is so much to celebrate in this bill, and I am thrilled to share this good news with New Hampshire families that these federal investments in our state will soon be the law of the land.”
“This is a direct investment in many of the issues I hear most about from Granite Staters. This bill will help build out high-speed internet in rural communities, invest in clean energy infrastructure, repair our roads and bridges, address the effects of climate change on our Seacoast, protect our communities from cyberattacks, and make sure New Hampshire’s kids have safe drinking water, among so much more. The bill now heads to the President’s desk where I look forward to him quickly signing it,” said U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan.
“These are not Democratic or Republican priorities, they are bipartisan, common-sense solutions of local and national significance. It’s about time Congress finalized this legislation, and I look forward to President Biden signing it into law as soon as possible so the work of repairing and modernizing our infrastructure can begin,” said U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01)
“From bolstering broadband access to repairing our roads and bridges, this bipartisan legislation comes at a critical time for America’s infrastructure. I’m proud to deliver key priorities for New Hampshire, and I look forward to President Biden signing this legislation into law to keep our country’s infrastructure competitive, create millions of jobs, and support hardworking families,” said U.S. Representative Annie Kuster (D-NH-02)
A piece of legislation originally sponsored in 2019 by U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) that Shaheen was a lead sponsor on along with Portman this term, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness (ESIC) Act, which aims to save $51 billion in energy costs annually by 2050 by providing energy efficiency grants at colleges, industrial facilities and government buildings.
“Time is of the essence to prepare our economy and workers for the 21st century while safeguarding our environment. Congress took a critical step to build a more sustainable future, and I look forward to President Biden’s swift signature on this landmark legislation,” said Shaheen.
Another piece of legislation within the infrastructure bill, the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, was co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09).
The bill provides $1 billion over four years to provide expertise for local state, tribal and territorial governments on cybersecurity issues.
“A cyberattack on state or local governments can put schools, electrical grids, and crucial services in jeopardy,” said Hassan. “I have heard directly from New Hampshire local leaders who are eager to strengthen their cybersecurity, but do not have the resources to do so, which is why this new grant program is so important. I look forward to the President signing into law our groundbreaking, bipartisan infrastructure bill that includes our state and local cybersecurity grant program.”
