So, what is actually in the Bi-partisan Infrastructure Bill?
Funding for roads and bridges. $110 billion for roads, bridges, and major infrastructure projects. Included is $40 billion for bridge repair, replacement and rehabilitation. The deal also contains $16 billion for major projects that would be too large or complex for traditional funding programs, according to the White House. Also included in the package is $11 billion for transportation safety, including a program to help states and localities reduce crashes and fatalities, especially of cyclists and pedestrians. It would direct funding to highway, truck and pipelines and hazardous materials safety efforts. It contains $1 billion to reconnect communities, disproportionately Black neighborhoods, that were divided by highways and other infrastructure. It will fund planning, design, demolition and reconstruction of street grids, parks or other infrastructure.
Money for transit and rail. $39 billion to modernize public transit. The funds would repair and upgrade existing infrastructure, make stations accessible to all users, bring transit service to new communities and modernize rail and bus fleets, including replacing thousands of vehicles with zero-emission models. The deal would also invest $66 billion in passenger and freight rail. The funds would eliminate Amtrak's maintenance backlog, modernize the Northeast Corridor line and bring rail service to areas outside the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Included in the package is $12 billion in partnership grants for intercity rail service, including high-speed rail.
Broadband infrastructure. $65 billion investment in improving the nation's broadband infrastructure. It also aims to help lower the price households pay for internet service by requiring federal funding recipients to offer a low-cost affordable plan, by creating price transparency and by boosting competition in areas where existing providers aren't providing adequate service. It would also create a permanent federal program to help more low-income households access the internet.
Upgrading airports, ports and waterways. $17 billion in port infrastructure and $25 billion in airports to address repair and maintenance backlogs, reduce congestion and emissions near ports and airports and promote electrification and other low-carbon technologies.
Electric vehicles. $7.5 billion for zero- and low-emission buses and ferries, aiming to deliver thousands of electric school buses to districts across the country. Another $7.5 billion would go to building a nationwide network of plug-in electric vehicle chargers.
Improving power and water systems. $65 billion to rebuild the electric grid. It calls for building thousands of miles of new power lines and expanding renewable energy. It would provide $55 billion to upgrade water infrastructure. It would replace lead service lines and pipes so that communities have access to clean drinking water. Another $50 billion would go toward making the system more resilient -- protecting it from drought, floods and cyber attacks.
Environmental remediation
The bill would provide $21 billion to clean up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaim abandoned mine land and cap orphaned gas wells.
How Congress will pay for it? The bottom line is that the legislation would directly add roughly $350 billion to the deficit, when taking into account $90 billion of spending in new contract authority, said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that tracks federal spending.
So, what is actually in the infrastructure reconciliation bill?
Veterans: $18 billion toward upgrading VA facilities. (Veterans Affairs Committee)
Homeland security: $37 billion toward improving cybersecurity infrastructure, border management investments, federal investments in green materials procurement. (Homeland Security Committee)
Small businesses: $25 billion toward small business access to credit, investment and markets. (Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee)
Housing: $332 billion for housing affordability, rental assistance, homeownership initiatives, revitalization projects, zoning, transit improvements and public housing investments. (Banking and Housing Committee)
Immigration: $107 billion toward lawful permanent status for qualified immigrants, border security measures. (Judiciary Committee)
Investments in Native communities: $20.5 billion toward Native health programs and facilities, education, housing, energy, and language programs. (Indian Affairs Committee)
Education: $726 billion toward universal pre-k for 3 and 4-year-olds, child care for working families, tuition-free community college, investments in historically Black colleges and universities, and investments in primary care. (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee)
Health care: At least $1 billion in deficit reduction, with investments in paid family and medical leave, ACA expansion extension, expanding Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing benefits along with lowering the eligibility age. Also included are investments to address health care provider shortages, the expansion of the child tax credit, long-term care for seniors and people with disabilities, clean energy, manufacturing, and transportation tax incentives, and housing incentives. The following offsets are listed for these initiatives: corporate and international tax reform, taxes from high-income individuals, IRS tax enforcement, health care savings and the carbon polluter import fee. (Finance Committee)
Agriculture: $135 billion to go toward agriculture conservation, drought and forestry programs to reduce carbon emissions and prevent wildfires, climate research, debt relief, child nutrition, and funding for a Civilian Climate Corps. The budget outline aims to meet Biden’s goal of 80% clean electricity and 50% carbon emissions by 2030. (Agriculture Committee)
Clean energy: $198 billion toward clean electricity payment program, financing for domestic manufacturing of clean energy and auto supply chain technologies, federal procurement of energy efficient materials, and climate research. (Energy and Natural Resources Committee)
Climate initiatives: $67 billion toward funding low-income solar technologies, environmental justice investments in clean water affordability and access, EPA climate and research programs, federal investments in energy efficient buildings and green materials, and investments in clean vehicles. (Environment and Public Works Committee)
How will Congress pay for it? The price tag is currently set at $3.5 trillion. The plan calls for the investments to be offset by a combination of new tax revenues, health care savings and long-term economic growth. It calls for raising money through IRS enforcement and proposes a new fee on carbon pollution. The plan prohibits tax increases on families making under $400,000 a year, small businesses and family farms. The final cost remains to be seen.
Information from CNN, National Public Radio, Wall Street Journal, and Congressional Budget Office…
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