WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, November 15 Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) was invited to the White House to join President Joseph R. Biden for the signing ceremony of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The enactment of this transformational legislation will make the American economy more competitive, create millions of good-paying jobs, and provide historic funding for climate change resiliency and sustainability.
“Our nation’s infrastructure and transportation systems are in desperate need of improvement and modernization. Now, with this historic signing of the bipartisan infrastructure package, we will start to see federal funding going towards local projects all across the country and in our home on the central coast of California,” said Rep. Panetta. “From wildfire resiliency and green buses to rural broadband and water infrastructure, this once-in-a-generation legislation will secure the foundation of economic opportunity for California’s 20th district. I look forward to working with local stakeholders, the Department of Transportation, and other federal agencies to ensure that this investment is injected into the projects that need it and felt by the working families of the Central Coast.”'
What’s in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:
Wildfire Resiliency – it includes $3.369 billion to the Department of the Interior and USDA-Forest Service for wildfire risk reduction by providing funding for community wildfire defense grants, mechanical thinning, controlled burns, the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program, and firefighting resources.
It also includes provisions of Rep. Panetta’s REPLANT Act, which will create nearly 49,000 jobs over the next decade and prevent damaging mudslides after intense wildfire seasons.
Ecosystem and Habitat Support – it includes provisions of Rep. Panetta’s Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act for state departments of transportation and Native American tribes to carry out pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way. The funding total for this provision is $10 million.
Supply Chain Fixes – it includes $17 billion for port infrastructure, which will help expand ports and ease the supply chain crisis.
$9.5 billion for the Army Corps of engineers
$4 billion for Operations and Maintenance, the account that services the maintenance dredging in the Santa Cruz Harbor.
Water Infrastructure – it includes $55 billion in investments for water infrastructure, specifically $8.3 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation for western water infrastructure.
$3.2 billion for aging water infrastructure
$1.15 billion for water storage, groundwater storage, and conveyance projects
$250 million for desalination projects
$1 billion for rural water projects
$300 million for a Drought Contingency Plan
$400 million for WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
$100 million for the Cooperative Watershed Management Program
$250 million for the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program
$100 million for multi-benefit watershed projects
Repairs Roads & Bridges – it includes $110 billion dedicated to new roads, bridges, and major surface transportation projects.
$40 billion for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation.
$5.25 billion for the Low-No (emission) bus grant program.
Invests in Public Transit– it includes $39 billion in new investments for public transit, which will benefit Monterey-Salinas Transit and Santa Cruz Metro.
Expands Broadband – it includes $65 billion to ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet, all the more critical after COVID.
$40 billion in grants to states for deployment.
$600 million for Private Activity Bonds to finance broadband deployment, specifically for projects in rural areas.
$2 billion for broadband programs administered by the UDSA, including the ReConnect Program, which provides loans and grants to fund the construction, acquisition, or improvement of facilities and equipment that provide broadband service in rural areas.
Energy Grid Resiliency – it includes $27.65 billion in grid infrastructure and resilience that will help keep the lights on in the face of extreme weather and natural disasters, reducing the need for Public Safety Power Shutoffs.
Clean Energy Supply Chains – it includes $7.7 billion for clean energy supply chains.
$3 billion for battery materials
$3 billion for battery manufacturing and recycling grants
EV Charging Stations – it includes $7.5 billion to build out a national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, which will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.
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