Last Friday, House Democrats passed President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that will create millions of good-paying jobs, build new roads, bridges, and dams, and expand internet access to all. Americans across the country are waking up to headlines praising this historic deal and what it means for communities everywhere:
Here’s what papers are saying about this once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure:
NATIONAL:
Washington Post: Congress approves $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, sending measure to Biden for enactment
- “The infrastructure proposal, nearly half of which constitutes new spending, marks one of the most significant investments in the country’s infrastructure since Congress responded to the Great Recession. It seeds new funding in the hopes of delivering urgently needed fixes to the country’s outdated inner-workings while setting the U.S. on track to tackle more intractable future challenges, including the fast-worsening climate crisis.”
New York Times: Who Won What in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal
- “The infrastructure bill will provide close to $600 billion in new federal spending over the next decade on a cornucopia of infrastructure delights: roads, rail, ports, water systems, bridges, dams, airports, broadband! It puts $47 billion toward helping communities deal with the impacts of climate change. Jobs will be created, “the vast majority” of which, Mr. Biden stressed, would not require a college degree.”
The Guardian: Biden’s infrastructure success is a historic – and sorely needed – win
- “The passage of the billion-dollar-plus infrastructure bill is the largest appropriation of its kind since the Eisenhower Congress gave America its interstate highway system in the 1950s. Infrastructural improvements in the country are urgently needed and, if handled well, will be greeted with enthusiasm by Democrats and Republicans alike.”
OHIO:
Local 12: Federal infrastructure bill could breathe new life into Brent Spence Bridge project
- “With the Democrats making a late-week effort to get the infrastructure bill passed, those of us living on both sides of the Ohio River are watching closely, especially because the Brent Spence Bridge is a prime candidate for funding.”
NORTH CAROLINA:
Raleigh News and Observer: US House passes Biden’s infrastructure plan. Here’s how NC will benefit
- “North Carolina would get at least $100 million to provide broadband coverage, according to the White House. That figure could help at least 424,000 North Carolina residents who lack internet access receive it. More than 30% of people in the state would be eligible for a benefit that helps low-income families afford internet access.”
Indy Week: From RTP to Eastern N.C., President Biden’s Infrastructure Deal is a Game Changer for the State
- “This once-in-a-generation investment in our country’s infrastructure is going to change the course of our state’s economy and make lives better for millions of North Carolinians. From investing $7.2 billion for highway programs, $457 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $911 million to improve public transit options, $109 million over the next five years to expand an EV charging network, $100 million to provide broadband coverage to help at the least 424,000 North Carolina residents who lack access, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will keep our state growing and prosperous for years to come.”
PENNSYLVANIA:
Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Infrastructure bill’s passage met with praise and pans from Pennsylvania officials
- “‘President Biden and the Democrats in Pennsylvania worked to deliver one of the most transformational infrastructure plans in our lifetime,” [Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills] said in a statement. “This historic investment will create thousands of good-paying union jobs, revitalize our roads and bridges and ensure clean drinking water for every Pennsylvanian, all without raising taxes for working families.’“
ARIZONA:
AZ Big Media: Arizona lawmakers split as House OKs $1.2 trillion infrastructure bil
- “In Arizona, it said, the bill would help repair 132 bridges and 3,100 miles of highway that are in poor condition, address an estimated $9.1 billion in needed water infrastructure projects and improve broadband access for the 14% of Arizonans who have none and the 45% who live in an area with just one provider, among other goals. But the bill also includes items that are not traditionally thought of as infrastructure.”
WISCONSIN:
Wisconsin Examiner: U.S. House sends $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to Biden for his signature
- “The bill includes: $351 billion for highways and bridges. $107 billion for transit, $73 billion for electric grid infrastructure, $66 billion for passenger rail, $55 billion for drinking water infrastructure, $42 billion for broadband deployment, $25 billion for airports, $17 billion for ports, $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, $7.5 billion for electric buses and ferries.”
NEVADA:
Las Vegas Sun: Nevada Democrats laud passage of infrastructure bill
- “The infrastructure bill, which first passed in August in the Senate, is a “jobs bill” that will kickstart Nevada’s economic recovery and create jobs across the state, Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said. It includes about $4.04 billion for Nevada’s highways, bridges, transit systems, airports, electric vehicle charging, broadband, wildfire, cybersecurity, water and wildfires, she said.”
GEORGIA:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Democrats applaud House passage of infrastructure bill Republicans opposed
- “’This includes expanding the Interstate 14 designation through Columbus to Augusta, supporting new intercity passenger rail routes which can connect communities along the Interstate 75 corridor, increasing our commitment to rural broadband, and making smart investments in clean energy that will create more good-paying manufacturing jobs,’ he said in a statement.”
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Published: Nov 8, 2021