Menendez, Booker Of NJ Vote For Massive US Infrastructure Bill

NEW JERSEY — The U.S. Senate gave the green light to a massive infrastructure spending plan Tuesday, and Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey were among its supporters.

New Jersey’s Democratic senators both voted in favor of the $1.2 trillion bill, which passed 69-30 and saw bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans.

A White House briefing released in July lists some of the reasons why the bill is needed. It will be financed through a combination of redirecting unspent emergency relief funds, targeted corporate user fees, and strengthening tax enforcement when it comes to crypto currencies, in addition to the revenue generated from “higher economic growth as a result of the investments,” officials said.

While some liberal lawmakers said the package doesn't go far enough as a down payment on President Joe Biden's priorities, there were conservatives who argued that it’s too costly and should be more fully paid for.

However, even a barrage of broadsides from former president Donald Trump couldn’t bring the bill down. Read More: Senate Passes $1 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

If it clears the House – an uncertain outcome – and gets President Joe Biden’s signature, the plan would result in the largest federal investment for infrastructure projects in more than a decade. It would also appropriate money for environmental issues, including $21 billion for remediation projects.

According to a joint statement from Menendez and Booker, the landmark spending plan is a win for New Jersey.

"The legislation will provide an estimated $12.31 billion in guaranteed transportation and transit funding formula dollars for New Jersey over the next five years—the largest ever investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure," the senators said.

According to the senators, New Jersey will also receive a minimum of $100 million to expand broadband internet access.

State formula funding for water and sewer infrastructure has yet to be calculated, and New Jersey can still compete for additional federal funding through other discretionary sources, they said.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also includes additional infrastructure funding for federal programs that will benefit New Jersey, the senators said. Examples include:

GATEWAY PROJECT (Funding from these programs can be used to complete Gateway)

• Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) - $30,000,000,000
• Supplemental appropriation - $8,000,000,000
• Annual authorization - $3,000,000,000

AIRPORTS (Funding is national over the next five years)

• Airport Infrastructure Grants - $15,000,000,000
• Airport Terminal Program - $5,000,000,000

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE (Funding is national over the next five years)

• Drinking Water State Revolving Funds - $15,000,000,000
• Clean Water State Revolving Funds - $11,700,000,000
• Lead Contamination in Schools - $200,000,000
• PFAS Contamination Remediation - $10,000,000,000

SUPERFUND/BROWNFIELDS

• To clean up and revitalize polluted sites - $5,000,000,000

FLOOD RESILIENCY (Funding is national over the next five years)

• Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants - $3,500,000,000

WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE

• To reduce energy costs for homeowners - $3,500,000,000

CYBERSECURITY

• To modernize and enhance our nation’s cybersecurity capabilities - $2,000,000,000

Overall, the bill – dubbed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – will include $550 billion in new federal spending over the next five years, according to CNN, including:

• $110 billion for roads, bridges and major projects
• $66 billion for passenger and freight rail
• $65 billion to rebuild the electric grid
• $65 billion to expand broadband internet access
• $39 billion to modernize and expand transit systems
• $7.5 billion to build a national network of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles
• $55 billion for water infrastructure, $15 billion of which will be directed toward replacing lead pipes

MENENDEZ: ‘GREAT NEWS FOR THE PEOPLE OF NJ’

Sen. Menendez released the following statement on Tuesday:

“The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is great news for the people of New Jersey and the nation at large. We have turned President Biden’s pledge to ‘Build Back Better’ from a slogan into a once-in-a-generation investment that will put millions of people to work building a more competitive, equitable, and sustainable economy for the 21st century. I am thrilled that this bill invests in many of the priorities I have spent decades fighting for on behalf of New Jersey, from improving access to public transit and clean drinking water, to completing Gateway and replacing our aging Hudson River tunnels, to building more resilient communities, and modernizing our electrical grid to help facilitate clean energy deployment.”

Menendez continued:

“In the months ahead, no one will fight harder than me to make sure New Jersey gets its fair share of federal funding and that communities with the highest need receive equitable investments in their future once this historic legislation is signed into law. But we can’t stop there. Senate Democrats must now continue working to deliver a reconciliation package that invests in the human infrastructure that Republicans have neglected for decades, from making child care more affordable, to creating a path to citizenship for as many of the 11 million undocumented as possible, to extending the historic tax relief for workers and parents we secured in the American Rescue Plan, to addressing the climate crisis that threatens our communities and our families. The American people are demanding bold investments in the future of our country, and we must and will deliver.”

BOOKER: ‘MOST EXTENSIVE INVESTMENT IN DECADES’

Sen. Booker also released a statement about the bill on Tuesday. He wrote:

“After months of bipartisan negotiations, I applaud the Senate for passing the most extensive infrastructure investment our country has seen in decades. This landmark legislation will help create millions of good-paying jobs throughout our country, strengthen our national security, and bolster our economy -- making us more economically competitive with other nations. New Jersey and our country badly need federal investment to modernize our nation’s rail and transit systems, repair our crumbling roads and tunnels and deteriorating water systems, strengthen cyberinfrastructure, expand broadband access and combat climate change.”

Booker continued:

“The [bill] also includes key funding for Amtrak and transit that will support completion of the Gateway Program, funding for the construction and refurbishment of household decentralized wastewater systems that I’ve worked to advance for years, and a toll credit exchange pilot program, ferry operators provision, and wildlife crossing safety program based on my legislation. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in passing this bipartisan legislation and look forward to following it up with a budget bill that will make significant and transformative investments to lower costs for American families, create additional American jobs, and move our country forward in addressing the climate crisis.”

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