Cárdenas Announces Co-Sponsorship of Democrats’ Moving Forward Act, H.R. 2
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) co-sponsored H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The newly unveiled House Democrats’ bill invests more than $1.5 trillion in modern, sustainable infrastructure while creating millions of good-paying jobs, combatting the climate crisis and addressing disparities in communities across California and throughout the country. Cárdenas’ bill, the Clean Commute for Kids Act which provides funding to retrofit bus fleets with cleaner energy sources, was included in H.R. 2.
“Communities across America – specifically communities of color – are facing some of the worst public health crises due to outdated and crumbling infrastructure,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “Deteriorating water pipes, poor air quality due to low fuel standards, and crumbling roads and bridges are hurting vulnerable communities both economically and public health. For too long, Americans have watched our aging infrastructure fall further behind the times and deeper into disrepair. Now, during the coronavirus crisis, we have an even greater responsibility to create good-paying American jobs, equip our nation with 21st century infrastructure, make critical investments in clean energy technology, and set ourselves on a path to a strong recovery in the years to come.
“I am also proud that my bill to retrofit school buses with clean energy sources was included in the Moving Forward Act,” continued Cárdenas. Not only will this be better for our environment, it makes commutes for our children safer by reducing their exposure to harmful diesel pollution.
“The Moving Forward Act delivers historic, urgently-needed investments that California and our nation need. I am proud to join my colleagues as a cosponsor of this bold, transformative legislation.”
Among the many far-reaching provisions of the Moving Forward Act:
- The INVEST in America Act, a nearly $500 billion investment to rebuild and reimagine the nation’s transportation infrastructure by fixing our crumbling roads and bridges, improving safety, and reducing gridlock. It additionally puts the U.S. on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector by cutting carbon pollution, investing in public transit and the national rail network, building out fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles, and deploying technology and innovative materials. The INVEST in America Act is fueled by American workers and ingenuity thanks to strong Buy America provisions and labor protections.
- Invests in schools with the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which funds $130 billion in school infrastructure targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that endanger the health and safety of students and educators. This investment will help students get back to school and create more than 2 million jobs to help workers get back to work.
- Addresses structural challenges and upgrades childcare facilities by leveraging a 5-year, $10 billion federal investment to generate additional state and private investments in making sure that childcare settings are safe, appropriate, and able to comply with current and future public health directives.
- Invests over $100 billion into our nation's affordable housing infrastructure to create or preserve 1.8 million affordable homes. These investments will help reduce housing inequality, create jobs and stimulate the broader economy, increase community and household resiliency in the face of natural disasters, improve hazardous living conditions, and increase the environmental sustainability of our housing stock.
- Protects access to safe drinking water by investing over $25 billion in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and other programs to ensure all communities have clean drinking water and to help remove dangerous contaminants like PFAS from local water systems.
- Modernizes our energy infrastructure for a clean energy future by investing more than $70 billion to transform our electric grid to accommodate more renewable energy, expand renewable energy, strengthen existing infrastructure, help develop an electric vehicle charging network, and support energy efficiency, weatherization, and Smart Communities infrastructure.
- Delivers affordable high-speed broadband Internet access to all parts of the country by investing $100 billion to promote competition for broadband internet infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities, prioritizing those with persistent poverty. Gets children connected to remote learning, closes broadband adoption and digital skills gaps and enhances payment support for low-income households and the recently unemployed.
- Modernizes the nation’s health care infrastructure by investing $30 billion to upgrade hospitals to increase capacity and strengthen care, help community health centers respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies, improve clinical laboratory infrastructure, support the Indian Health Service‘s infrastructure, and increase capacity for community-based care.
- Modernizes and strengthens the United States Postal Service by investing $25 billion to modernize postal infrastructure and operations, including a zero emissions postal vehicle fleet, processing equipment and other goods.
- Promotes new renewable energy infrastructure by incentivizing the development of wind and solar power on public lands and building a workforce for offshore wind.
- Promotes investments in our communities by spurring private investment through the tax code, through a revitalized Build America Bonds program, expansions of Private Activity Bonds, and significant enhancements to the New Markets Tax Credit and the Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
The Clean Commute for Kids Act, which is included in the H.R. 2, provides funding to retrofit school bus fleets with cleaner energy sources like electricity or natural gas. Nearly 25 million children ride over 500,000 predominantly diesel buses to school in the U.S. each day, which contribute to air pollution, and importantly to children’s exposure to air pollution.
A fact sheet on the Moving Forward Act is available here.
# # #