On Nov. 15, 2021, after months of negotiating and more than 500 amendments, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”) into law. This law is now the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure and economy in our country’s history. It will provide $550 billion throughout fiscal years 2022-2026 in new federal investment in infrastructure, (roads, bridges, and mass transit), water infrastructure, climate resilience, and broadband. The law is intended to create jobs and improve public safety.
Here in New Hampshire, $5 million has been allocated to the expansion of internet access and assisting some households with their internet bills.
For those cities and towns dealing with contamination by PFAS, millions of dollars have been allocated to improve water infrastructure, eventually ensuring clean and safe water.
Investments were allocated for dams, ports and waterways throughout the country. Here in New Hampshire, Portsmouth Harbor is a significant port for goods and supplies in the northeast. Monies will go towards the protection of the environment, while reducing supply chain obstructions, improving safety, and strengthening the economy.
Renewable energy will help all of us to combat what we now regularly see as climate change and extreme weather, not just here but nationally and globally. Millions of dollars have already arrived in New Hampshire, assisting families in making their homes more energy efficient. Among the allocations of that money is to the purchase of electric school buses and building more electric vehicle charging stations statewide.
All this and more will come from the president’s bipartisan infrastructure law and we can thank our representatives in Washington, DC for the role they played in making it a reality!
THIS is what bipartisanship for the good of all looks like. Let’s all work to keep it that way!