August 26, 2021 - FRESNO – Congressman Jim Costa released the following statement after an agreement was made to hold a standalone vote on President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill by September 27, 2021 and to only bring a reconciliation package to the House that has the backing of 51 votes in the Senate and complies with the Senate Byrd Rule:

“I’m proud that Democrats have come together to advance President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda by committing to a stand-alone vote on the bipartisan infrastructure framework and delivering a budget that helps working people across this country,” said Costa. “This infrastructure bill secures robust funding for California and the Valley, including for water, roads and broadband expansion - significant investments we haven’t seen in a generation. The budget plan will provide help to families, immigrants, workers, and our environment with equally strong funding. Both bills will put this country on a path to reduce poverty, improve healthcare and create jobs. We can do big things when we work together.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act invests $1 trillion dollars to fix our nation’s crumbling infrastructure while creating nearly 2 million jobs over the next 10 years. California will benefit significantly from the bill with once-in-a-generation funding to rebuild water systems, roads and bridges, improve public transportation, expand broadband access, and mitigate the impacts of climate change with:

• $3.5 billion to improve water infrastructure and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is made available to all communities;
• $9.4 billion over five years to improve public transportation options, including high speed rail;
• $25.3 billion for federal highway apportioned programs and $4.2 billion for bridge replacement and repairs;
• $100 million to improve broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the nearly 545,000 Californian’s who currently have no access;
• $84 billion to protect against wildfires and other extreme weather events;
• $384 million to expand that state’s electric vehicle charging network.

The $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package calls for long-term investments in families, workers, infrastructure and healthcare, and resources to fight the effects of climate change by:

• Establishing universal Pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds;
• Making community college tuition free for 2 years;
• Investing in climate smart agriculture and forest management investments for farmers and rural communities;
• Investing in public housing, green and sustainable housing, and housing affordability;
• Investing in workforce development and job training programs to connect workers to good paying jobs;
• Rehabilitating aging Veterans administration buildings and hospitals;
• Extending the recent expansion of the Affordable Care Act in the American Rescue Plan;
• Investing in home and community-based services to help seniors, persons with disabilities and home care workers; 
• Reducing prescription drug costs for patients.
  Source: Congressman Jim Costa