Rep. Harley Rouda got legislation to reduce airplane emissions and modernize how towns and cities improve water quality included in a infrastructure bill that passed the House this month.
The Moving Forward Act is designed to improve the nation’s infrastructure, create jobs, combat the climate crisis and address disparities in America.
“With a historic number of Americans unemployed, the Moving Forward Act is more than a plan to fix American bridges, roads, and schools,” said Rouda in a statement. “This bill is an opportunity to empower businesses and create jobs for working families — all while addressing the climate crisis. The Moving Forward Act, with the help of my amendments, will deliver common-sense solutions that invest in our local communities, reduce airplane emissions and noise, and update our water quality infrastructure while saving taxpayer dollars.”
In recent years, America’s infrastructure system has received failing grades from the American Society of Civil Engineers. For instance, in 2017 America received a D+ as a whole for its aging roads, failing bridges and subpar water systems.
“Rouda’s amendment prioritizes the modernization of water quality improvement facilities which is a provision that will help agencies like the Orange County Sanitation District,” David Shawver, who serves as the Board Chairman of the Orange County Sanitation District, said in a statement. “The district serves more than 2.5 million Orange County residents, utilize advanced treatment technology to improve water quality and ensure a resilient, safe, and reliable water supply for Orange County, while reducing overall operating costs.”
The overarching bill is designed to tackle a wide range of infrastructure issues, including the rebuilding of highways, bridges, airports, transit and harbors, and require investment in fixes that would address gridlock, improve safety and move the U.S towards zero emissions.
The new legislation also aims to modernize energy infrastructure and ensure all communities have clean water by investing in renewable energy and removing contaminants from drinking water. The act would also provide improvements to hospitals, the postal system and expand affordable high-speed internet.
“By investing in families, workers, and communities across the country, we can support American manufacturing and ingenuity and create millions of jobs that cannot be exported,” the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure wrote in a summary of the bill. “This is all while putting our country on a path toward zero carbon emissions, making communities and roads safer, and addressing long-standing disparities. It’s about investing in infrastructure that is smarter, safer, and made to last.”
Elle Meyers Elle Meyers is a Congressional Reporter for COURIER where she covers national politics and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Previously Elle was a beat reporter in Montgomery County, Maryland and she is a native of Portland.
