By: Molly Newhard
After months of negotiating on Capitol Hill Congress has passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Senate passed the bill in August 69-30. This package includes funding for wildfire mitigation, broadband expansion, clean drinking water and much more.
This bill has the potential to have profound impact on Oregon, including a $100 million investment toward broadband which will help cover the 136,000 Oregonians who do not have access to the internet. Over the last year internet access has become essential. According to the PEW Research Center, “Fully 87% of adults say the internet has been at least important for them personally during the coronavirus outbreak, including 53% who describe it as essential.” Between telehealth appointments, Zoom classes, and virtual family gatherings, the internet has kept the nation connected.
Oregon will also be receiving $529 million to improve and expand access to clean drinking water. According to Senator Ron Wyden’s press release, some of those funds will go toward his Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act which will clean up the water in tribal communities.
Oregon is set to receive an estimated $747 million over five years to invest in public transit options like electric buses. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was in Eugene in July to learn from the community about LTD’s electric bus program.
“These are the first zero emission electric buses that LTD is bringing online to replace these old diesel buses. Which is so good for our community in so many ways.” Buttigieg continued, “It’s of course going to make the air cleaner here in Lane County; it’s going to reduce carbon emissions around the world, and it’s coming at a moment when Oregon unfortunately has reminded us of what’s at stake.”
The bill will also allocate $39 million toward Senator Wyden’s Disaster Safe Power Grid Act. The fires in Oregon last year were devastating to Lane County, and these funds will help update the power grid. Oregon may be able to prevent such devastation again.
Buttigieg spoke at a White House Press Briefing Monday to underscore the historical nature of this bill. “Infrastructure is so elemental to our society, that when it’s not there to serve us in the right way all of us are impacted. But when it is, when it’s strong, every community, large and small, rural and urban, privileged and marginalized, every community feels the benefits,” Buttigeig said.
This bill is a smaller version of Biden’s original infrastructure bill, which rang in around $3 trillion. Democrats in Congress are working to recover what was lost with the potential upcoming passage of the Build Back Better Act, the social and climate change portion of the Build Back Better Plan.
President Biden is expected to sign the bill on Monday, Nov. 15. Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio are holding a press conference at the Wayne Morse Courthouse, in downtown Eugene on Friday, November 12 at 12:00 p.m.. They will be discussing the infrastructure bill and what its passage means for Lane County.
