Washington, DC– Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, released the following statement after voting to advance the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s portion of the Build Back Better Act. The legislation invests nearly $60 billion to make America’s infrastructure more sustainable, resilient, and equitable, and reduce carbon pollution from the transportation sector (Watch Strickland’s remarks here).
“By advancing equitable and sustainable investments in our nation’s transportation systems, our Committee is not only responding to the urgent challenges we face today, but also paving the way for a brighter future for all communities, including our hardest-hit and most vulnerable,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. “Creating jobs and investing in priorities like high-speed rail, accessible transportation, affordable housing, water access, reducing carbon pollution, and mitigating climate change will benefit workers and families in the South Sound and across our nation. As Congress advances transformative investments to Build Back Better, I’ll continue to work with my colleagues, Chairman DeFazio, and President Biden to ensure that we are making transportation systems work better for all of our communities.”
The T&I Committee’s portion of the budget reconciliation bill provides funding for a number of Strickland priorities, including the following key investments:
- $10 billion to support access to affordable housing and enhance mobility for low-income individuals and residents of disadvantaged or persistent poverty communities.
- $4 billion for reduction of carbon pollution in the surface transportation sector—addressing the largest source of transportation greenhouse gas emissions.
- $4 billion to support neighborhood equity, safety, and affordable transportation access, including reconnecting communities divided by existing infrastructure barriers.
- $1 billion to the Department of Transportation to support projects that develop, demonstrate, or apply low-emission technologies or produce, transport, blend, or store sustainable aviation fuels.
- $500 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program.
- $425 million for grants for the construction, retrofit, technological enhancement, and updated planning requirements of state, local Tribal, and territorial emergency operation centers.
- $9.5 billion to the Economic Development Administration to provide investments in persistently distressed communities, provide assistance to energy and industrial transition communities, invest in public works projects, and create regional hubs.
- $1 billion to the General Services Administration to invest in high-performance green buildings.
- $1 billion for climate resilient Coast Guard infrastructure.
- $2.5 billion to the Maritime Administration to support more sustainable port infrastructure and supply chain resilience.
- $2 billion to invest in sewer overflow and stormwater reuse projects, as well as a greater federal cost share for projects that serve financially distressed communities.
- $500 million in grant assistance to invest in the backlog of wastewater projects on Tribal lands.
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland serves as Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and is the only African-American woman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress and the first African-American to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.
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