Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, attended President Biden’s signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act today after he received a personal invitation from the President.
“It was a true honor to be at the White House to watch the signing of this historic infrastructure law,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “I have worked to provide more federal investment in infrastructure to build the Gateway Program and fix roads and bridges nationwide since I was first elected to Congress. This new law provides funds for infrastructure projects that are vital to the economic prosperity of my district and the entire state of New Jersey. I am proud that it includes money to replace water pipes to protect Americans, especially American children, from lead exposure in their drinking water. We have needed this investment for decades and I applaud President Biden for his leadership to make this critical bipartisan investment.”
The final $1.2 trillion law that President Biden signed will improve the nation’s infrastructure and it included parts of Rep. Payne, Jr.’s bill, the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act. Most important for the 10th Congressional District and New Jersey, the law makes funding available to build the $12 billion Hudson River Tunnel project of the Gateway Program, modernize Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark Liberty International Airport, and replace lead water pipes in Newark and throughout the district.
The law improves the nation’s infrastructure in several ways, such as:
- $66 billion for rail projects.
- $38 billion in funding that could be used for the Hudson River Tunnel project.
- $12 billion for rail upgrades, such as high-speed rail projects.
- $46 billion for flood mitigation, coastal resiliency and other measures to protect infrastructure from extreme weather events.
- $55 billion for water infrastructure and the removal of lead-contaminated pipes in drinking water systems.
In addition, the law provides more than $8 billion in guaranteed funding to repair and repave New Jersey highways for the next five years. It will provide more than $14 billion to improve transit throughout the urbanized areas of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
The law is the largest federal investment in public transit ever and the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. It includes the most money for bridge repair in almost 70 years and represents the largest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in American history. The funding will ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet and establish more clean energy transmission nationwide.
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