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House Passes Infrastructure Bill with Bonamici Workforce, Climate Initiatives

July 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC [07/01/20] – Today the House passed a $1.5 trillion plan to rebuild American infrastructure that includes legislation from Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) to help more people enter good-paying jobs in infrastructure and fight the climate crisis.

The Moving Forward Act, H.R. 2, invests in roads, bridges, and transit systems, and also in schools, child care, housing, broadband access, and more. Bonamici spoke in support of the legislation on the House floor. The video can be found here.

"Long-term investments in transportation and infrastructure create good-paying jobs and drive commerce," Bonamici said on the House floor. "And when we rebuild systems in a sustainable and resilient manner, we reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and support vulnerable communities. I am very pleased that the Moving Forward Act includes many of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis recommendations to invest in transit and zero emission buses, electric vehicle charging stations, pedestrian and bike infrastructure, and pre-disaster mitigation.

"As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I'm also glad that H.R. 2 includes the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act and child care infrastructure funding. Schools and child care facilities across the country are in desperate need of repairs to protect the health and safety of students and staff. In Northwest Oregon it is not a question of if, but when, we will have a significant earthquake, and I am thankful that this bill specifically provides for funding for schools vulnerable to seismic natural disasters."

Provisions from Bonamici's bipartisan BUILDS Act, adopted as an amendment, will help individuals who have historically faced barriers to employment, particularly women and people of color, access support services and paid, on-the-job training programs to prepare for better-paying jobs in the transportation, infrastructure, and clean energy sectors. Video of Bonamici speaking about the BUILDS Act can be found here.

As Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus, Bonamici led her colleagues in calling for robust investments in coastal restoration and resilience projects earlier this month. The Moving Forward Act provides $3 billion for NOAA coastal restoration efforts and includes the Shovel-Ready Restoration Grants for Coastlines and Fisheries Act, which Bonamici co-led.

The Moving Forward Act also incorporates many recommendations from the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Bonamici, the only member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis from the Pacific Northwest, joined her colleagues in releasing their Climate Action Plan this week.