Washington, DC – Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted to advance the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act (H.R. 2), a key component of the Moving Forward Framework that House Democrats released earlier this year.
“Investments in surface transportation infrastructure will create millions of jobs and support American manufacturing and ingenuity while spurring economic activity and ensuring safe and rapid movement of commerce, propelling our economy forward into the 21st Century,” stated Brownley. “I am especially pleased that the bill makes significant investments in building resilient infrastructure to withstand the impacts of climate change, including wildfires, landslides, and floods. It also puts the U.S. on a path toward achieving zero emissions from the transportation sector by prioritizing carbon pollution reduction, investing in public transit and the national rail network, building out alternative fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles, and deploying technology and innovative materials that help address climate and resilience challenges.”
The INVEST in America Act will reauthorize surface transportation programs through Fiscal Year 2025, including for roads, bridges, transit systems, rail, and safety programs. In total, the bill authorizes nearly $500 billion in investments, which will help to create and sustain jobs, lessen congestion on our roadways, enhance transit, biking, and walking options for commuters, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the quality of life in local communities.
The INVEST in America Act also included several initiatives spearheaded by Congresswoman Brownley:
- The bill will make significant investments in zero emission buses, a key priority advanced by Brownley’s Green Bus Act. Additionally, Brownley secured amendments in the Committee-passed bill to ensure all California transit agencies are eligible to apply for zero emission bus grants, and provisions to incentivize all transit agencies to make the transition to zero emission vehicles.
- The bill sets aside specific funds for local community priorities, a key priority of Brownley’s advanced through her Support Local Transportation Act and the Surface Transportation Investment Act. Brownley secured an amendment during the Committee consideration that will increase the sub-allocation of Surface Transportation Program funds to local communities, like Ventura County, from 55% under current law to 60% over the five year authorization period in the bill.
- The bill also creates a new grant program specifically for local community transportation infrastructure priorities. In addition to ensuring this program was open to Ventura County and our local cities, Brownley secured language in the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute ensuring that the Port of Hueneme – a key economic driver in Ventura County – would be eligible to compete for grants under this program.
- The bill requires the Federal Highway Administration to include the Port of Hueneme – and other ports with more than $1 billion in annual cargo value – in the national multimodal freight network, language advanced through Brownley’s National Multimodal Freight Network Improvement Act.
- The bill also establishes new metrics and funding set-asides for pedestrian and bike safety infrastructure, and it requires states to make more safety investments to address areas with high fatality rates among vulnerable road users, a key priority advanced by Brownley’s Safe And Friendly for the Environment (SAFE) Streets Act.
- The bill also includes the Stop for School Buses Act, bipartisan legislation that Brownley co-authored, which will address significant risks to children posed when vehicles violate school bus stop signs.
- Finally, Brownley’s amendment to require the Department of Transportation to conduct a thorough study of climate resilient infrastructure was adopted during Committee consideration.
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