The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), led by Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), advanced legislation in a vote of 37-29 to invest nearly $60 billion to make America’s infrastructure more sustainable, resilient, and equitable, and to reduce carbon pollution from the transportation sector. During prior negotiations over the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, transit funding was reduced by $10 billion while leaving road spending intact. The T&I committee’s chunk of the reconciliation package could restore almost all of the funding by specifically targeting $9.9 billion towards improving the mobility of disadvantaged residents who rely on transit most. The new, $9.9 billion “Affordable Housing Access program” would establish a new grant program aimed at increasing underserved communities’ access to affordable residences, jobs, grocery, medical care, and more, while also making funds available for city agencies to increase their operations capacity, rather than simply building new things. The money could also be used to build sidewalks, electrify buses, and more.
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s portion of the budget reconciliation bill includes 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.
- $6 billion to advance local surface transportation projects.
- $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.
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