On Thursday, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) issued the following statement on the delayed vote in the U.S. House that would send a bipartisan infrastructure bill with major priorities for Iowa to the desk of President Biden:
“When Iowans tell me they are sick of Washington games, this is what they mean. Instead of moving forward with one piece of the comprehensive agenda that we’ve been crafting over the past six months, some in my party are insisting that we wait to put shovels in the ground and pass the largest investment in rural broadband in U.S. history until every piece of our agenda is ready.
“To be clear: I believe that Iowa’s greatest benefit would come from Congress approving both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the budget we are still crafting in Congress – which will include other important investments in child care, biofuels, health care, and tax cuts for the vast majority of Iowa families and businesses,” Rep. Axne added. “But all-at-once or nothing is no way to govern. This bill will be invaluable to the future of our state and create thousands of Iowa jobs over its lifespan. Its passage should not be delayed.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would create thousands of Iowa jobs provide at least $5.082 billion in various investments for Iowa.
- $3.4 billion in highway aid, to address the 403 miles of highway in Iowa that are in poor condition
- The average Iowa driver spends $336 a year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair
- $432 million for bridge replacement and repairs
- Iowa will also be able to fund bridge repairs through grants from a $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program, and $16 billion dedicated for major revitalization projects
- Iowa has 4,571 bridges in poor condition
- $638 million to improve water infrastructure
- $305 million for public transportation in Iowa
- 38% of trains and other transit vehicles in Iowa are beyond their lifespan
- $120 million for airport infrastructure and upgrades
- At least $100 million for expanded broadband internet coverage with additional funding determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mapping unserved areas nationwide
- Those updated maps are created by the Broadband DATA Act, a law cosponsored by Rep. Axnein 2019
- $15 million to protect against cyberattacks
The IIJA also includes $7 billion for Army Corps of Engineers backlog to address storm resiliency and $3.5 billion for FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance for flood risk.
The IIJA is projected by the Economic Policy Institute to support more than 770,000 jobs nationwide.
