Rep. Pallone Applauds House Passage of INVEST America Act

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) applauded House passage of the INVEST America Act, a $715 billion transportation bill that invests in surface and water infrastructure and will create jobs, revitalize the economy, improve public health, and increase the safety of automobiles. An additional $44 billion was added during the legislative process to make even greater investments in infrastructure, including EV charging and passenger rail grant programs, among other additions.

The INVEST America Act includes provisions from Pallone's Energy and Commerce Committee that ensure access to safe and affordable drinking water, help communities address PFAS contamination, and provide funding to replace lead service lines. The bill also includes legislation to promote automobile safety by modernizing the five-star safety rating for the 21st century and requiring vehicles to be equipped with safety technologies to detect and alert a driver to the presence of a child or occupant in the rear seat after the engine is shut off. The INVEST America Act will fund electric vehicle infrastructure that's critical to combatting the climate crisis and ensuring that communities across the country are ready for the growing demand for electric vehicles. The INVEST America Act also includes funding for three transportation projects that Pallone requested for New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District.

"The INVEST in America Act will revitalize and modernize our infrastructure, create new, good paying jobs, and take a leap forward in fulfilling President Biden's promise to Build Back Better. I'm especially proud that it includes critical drinking water provisions that would meaningfully improve both our drinking water infrastructure and our standard-setting process. Access to safe, affordable water is a basic human right, and this legislation upholds that by funding the complete replacement of lead service lines, helping local water systems clean up PFAS contamination, and ensuring that financial hardship never stands between any family and their access to drinking water," said Pallone. "The INVEST in America Act also includes a bold vision of safety and innovation that will save lives, boost domestic manufacturing, and strengthen our industrial base. The safety reforms will deploy existing, proven technologies that can have an immediate lifesaving effect, such as crash avoidance systems, drunk driving prevention technology, and systems that will put an end to children dying in hot cars. The bill will also supercharge our electric vehicle infrastructure, encouraging domestic manufacturing of EVs and investing in a clean technology accelerator that will launch an exciting new era for clean energy."

The INVEST in America Act includes:

* $343 billion to deliver better roads and bridges faster by increasing investment by 54 percent with an emphasis on fixing existing infrastructure.

* $95 billion for development of high-speed rail projects, reducing traffic congestion and rail safety improvement. This includes $32 billion for Amtrak's intercity passenger rail service on the Northeast Corridor and the National Network to renew and support train service.

* $32 billion for bridge funding to ensure bridges in communities of all sizes are safer, more reliable, and more resilient.

* $53 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the primary source of federal funding for safe drinking water infrastructure.

* $45 billion to fully replace lead service lines nationwide. As many as 10 million lead service lines are currently in use, including an estimated 400,000 schools and child facilities with lead components.

* $5 billion for assistance for local water systems to clean up PFAS contamination.

* $4 billion to reduce and eliminate water utility debts incurred since March 2020.

* $8 billion for two new permanent federal water assistance programs to help low-income Americans with water bills.

Pallone spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor yesterday about the bill's provisions to ensure access to safe, clean and affordable water and its investment in electric vehicle technology to combat climate change.

More information on the bill is available here: https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2021-06-07%20Compiled%20Thematic%20Summaries.pdf