Infrastructure bill 2021: What does it mean for Washington state?
SEATTLE - The U.S. Senate passed an almost $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday.
The bill is currently under consideration in The House of Representatives — if it passes, Washington state could receive up to $5 billion in federal aid for highway programs.
What does the bill mean for Washington state?
$2 million would go towards improving public transportation, and an additional $600 million would be allocated for bridge repairs and replacements — Washington has 321 bridges listed as in "poor condition" and almost 5,000 bridges in need of repair.
Aside from transportation improvement, another local benefit of the infrastructure bill will help to recover salmon runs. Sen. Patty Murray secured funding for salmon and coastal recovery that includes $1 billion for culvert removal, replacement and restoration as well as more than $170 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund.
The bill includes funds for Noah's Marine Debris Program and other important investments for salmon recovery.
After the infrastructure bill was passed, Democratic senators immediately moved to push the next bill — a $3.5 trillion budget deal for "human infrastructure."
According to the Associated Press, Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that the House will consider both bills together.
The new bill prioritizes universal schooling, expanded medicare, free community college and efforts against climate change.
A majority of Republican senators are united against the budget deal.
House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, said that if the Senate passes a budget resolution, he will bring House members to return a month early to consider the bill.
What else is in the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure bill?
ROADS AND BRIDGES
The bill would provide $110 billion to repair the nation’s aging highways, bridges and roads. According to the White House, 173,000 total miles of America’s highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. And the almost $40 billion for bridges is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system, according to President Joe Biden’s administration.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
The $39 billion for public transit in the legislation would expand transportation systems, improve accessibility for people with disabilities and provide dollars to state and local governments to buy zero-emission and low-emission buses. The Department of Transportation estimates that the current repair backlog is more than 24,000 buses, 5,000 rail cars, 200 stations and thousands of miles of track and power systems.
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT RAIL
To reduce Amtrak’s maintenance backlog, which has worsened since Superstorm Sandy nine years ago, the bill would provide $66 billion to improve the rail service’s 457-mile-long Northeast Corridor as well as other routes. It’s less than the $80 billion Biden — who famously rode Amtrak from Delaware to D.C. during his time in the Senate — originally asked for, but it would be the largest federal investment in passenger rail service since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The bill would spend $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, which the administration says are critical to accelerating the use of electric vehicles to curb climate change. It would also provide $5 billion for the purchase of electric school buses and hybrids, reducing reliance on school buses that run on diesel fuel.
INTERNET ACCESS
The legislation’s $65 billion for broadband access would aim to improve internet services for rural areas, low-income families and tribal communities. Most of the money would be made available through grants to states.
MODERNIZING THE ELECTRIC GRID
To protect against the widespread power outages that have become more frequent in recent years, the bill would spend $65 billion to improve the reliability and resiliency of the nation’s power grid. It would also boost carbon capture technologies and more environmentally-friendly electricity sources like clean hydrogen.
AIRPORTS
The bill would spend $25 billion to improve runways, gates and taxiways at airports and to improve terminals. It would also improve aging infrastructure at air traffic control towers.
WATER AND WASTEWATER
To improve the safety of the nation’s drinking water, the legislation would spend $55 billion on water and wastewater infrastructure. The bill would include $15 billion to replace lead pipes and $10 billion to address water contamination from polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — chemicals that were used in the production of Teflon and have also been used in firefighting foam, water-repellent clothing and many other items.
PAYING FOR IT ALL
The five-year spending package would be paid for by tapping $210 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief aid and $53 billion in unemployment insurance aid some states have halted, along with an array of other smaller pots of money, like petroleum reserve sales and spectrum auctions for 5G services.
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