Today, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) voted to pass H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, a sweeping bill by House Democrats to invest more than $1.5 trillion in modern, sustainable infrastructure.  The bill will also create millions of good-paying jobs, combat the climate crisis, and address disparities in communities throughout California and the country.
 
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard issued the following statement in support of the Moving Forward Act:
 
“I’m proud to support H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, a sweeping bill bringing together some of the best policy ideas in transportation, infrastructure, water, energy, housing, and education,” said Rep. Roybal-Allard.  “This bill also incorporates two important factors in the decision-making process for new infrastructure projects: equity and environmental justice.  For far too long, marginalized communities, like those in my Los Angeles district, have been shut out of decisions that directly impact their health and safety. This legislation would prioritize projects that are built with community input.
 
“H.R. 2 would require the Secretary of Transportation to consider equity and environmental justice in its grant making decisions. The bill would also invest $105 billion in transit programs, double the money designated for urban areas, and specifically direct transit agencies to serve areas with low income populations. This directive will help ensure places like Los Angeles, and other urban areas, will build transit systems that serve every community.
 
“Equity also means equal access. Our experience during the COVID-19 shutdown demonstrates that businesses and schools can operate remotely only when there is a reliable access to the internet. The Moving Forward Act will invest $100 billion to expand and deliver high-speed broadband internet access to all regions of the country, especially in communities which are unserved, underserved or experiencing persistent poverty. This expansion of access to broadband will help ensure students and businesses can reach resources, regardless of their zip code. This includes urban centers like those in my Congressional district.”
 
“I strongly support H.R. 2, The Moving Forward Act, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to work with us to pass this important legislation for the American people and our American economy.”
 
The Moving Forward Act:
 
• Includes 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, reducing gridlock and putting 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.  Under H.R. 2, California would receive $37.5 billion in highway and transit funding alone.
• 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 child care facilities by leveraging a five-year, $10 billion federal investment to generate additional state and private investments in making sure that child care 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 on public lands and building a workforce for offshore wind. 
• Promotes investments in our communities by spurring private investment through the tax code, 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.
 
A fact sheet on the Moving Forward Act is available here.
 
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