LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Bipartisan Agreement Invests in our Country and Its People
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n July, a group of Senate Democrats and Republicans, including Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, released details of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. This agreement passed the Senate in early August and was sent back to the House of Representatives for consideration and markup. The legislation includes $550 billion in infrastructure investments paid largely by unused COVID relief funds already appropriated by Congress. A White House synopsis of the bipartisan agreement includes the following breakdown of how the funds will be allocated:
ROADS, BRIDGES AND MAJOR PROJECTS: $110 BILLION This investment funds the aging infrastructure needs of roads and bridges throughout the U.S. The bill allocates $16 billion for major projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding programs but will deliver significant economic benefits to communities. It also reauthorizes the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act for an additional five years.
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT RAIL: $66 BILLION The infrastructure deal funds the U.S. rail network that carries more than 1.8 billion tons of freight valued at more than $830 billion annually, as well as 32.5 millionplus passengers on rail passenger transportation services. Operating assistance and new construction grants are also included.
BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE: $65 BILLION An estimated 19 million Americans lack access to high-speed internet. From urban broadband deserts to much needed rural connectivity, this investment will no doubt help bridge the digital divide throughout Arizona. 22 | September-October 2021
AIRPORTS: $25 BILLION The legislation allocates $20 billion in funding for air and terminal projects and $5 billion for air traffic control facilities in airports throughout the U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION: $21 BILLION
Carrie Kelly
The deal addresses legacy pollution and allocates funds to clean up superfund and brownfield sites. It also backs reclaiming abandoned mine land and capping orphaned gas wells, actions that will benefit Arizona.
AAED
PORTS AND WATERWAYS: $17.4 BILLION
POWER AND GRID: $65 BILLION
This bill invests in port and water infrastructure. Funding for the Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard also is included.
Part of the deal supports grid reliability and resiliency infrastructure. It includes funds for critical minerals and supply chains for clean energy technology, carbon capture, hydrogen, direct air capture and energy efficiency technologies.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE: $55 BILLION The deal provides funding for water projects, lead service line replacement and water infrastructure in tribal communities.
RESILIENCY: $50 BILLION In an effort to make our communities safer and our infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change and cyberattacks, the bill funds cybersecurity protection of critical infrastructure needs, flood mitigation, wildfire, drought, coastal resiliency, waste management, ecosystem restoration and weatherization.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: $39.15 BILLION The largest Federal investment in public transit in history provides significant funding for bus, streetcar and rail transit systems in both rural and urban areas of the country. It also extends the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act for an additional five years.
SAFETY AND RESEARCH: $10.5 BILLION The deal invests additional money on grant programs, such as Safe Streets for All, Vision Zero and the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant Program, as well as utility upgrades.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) INFRASTRUCTURE: $7.5 BILLION As our nation’s first national investment in EV infrastructure, the deal supports alternative-fuel corridors and a national network of EV charging stations to facilitate long-distance travel. The funding will be focus on rural disadvantaged communities. The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) continues to advocate for infrastructure investments. From broadband and rural highways to water and urban transportation, infrastructure is necessary for the efficient movement of goods and services as a function of economic advancement in Arizona. Carrie Kelly is the executive director of the Arizona Association for Economic Development.
