Hickenlooper-led bill is the largest public investment in climate change mitigation & American infrastructure in a century
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper will visit the White House to attend President Biden’s signing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Hickenlooper was part of a bipartisan group of 22 senators who negotiated and wrote the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.
“This bill is historic. Coloradans sent us to Washington to get things done, and our Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill delivers,” said Hickenlooper. “Together, we’re modernizing our roads and bridges, jumpstarting our transition to clean energy, and creating good paying jobs across the country.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is the largest public investment in infrastructure in a century and the largest climate change bill to date. Also included is Hickenlooper’s RECHARGE Act, which makes it more affordable to drive an electric vehicle and will be Hickenlooper’s first bill to become law since joining the Senate.
For a fact sheet on how the infrastructure bill will impact Colorado,CLICK HERE.
According to White House estimates, Colorado is expected to receive at least:
- $3.7 billion for roads,
- $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs,
- $100 million to expand internet access,
- $917 million for public transit, and
- $57 million to expand electric vehicle charging.
Hickenlooper wrote several provisions of the bill, including:
- The RECHARGE Act: Hickenlooper’s bill makes it more affordable to drive an electric vehicle by having states review utility rates for EV charging.
- A national standard to prevent marijuana-impaired driving: Hickenlooper’s amendment requires the federal government to identify how researchers can access marijuana samples to study how marijuana impairs driving.
- Returning RTD’s deposit on Union Station loan: Hickenlooper’s provision wouldrequire the U.S. Department of Transportation to quickly return $28.9 million, plus interest, to RTD for a deposit made on a fully repaid federal loan related to Denver’s Union Station.
- $65 billion to ensure every American has high-speed internet: As part of the bipartisan group, Hickenlooper helped write the broadband section of the legislation. This historic investment will increase high-speed broadband access and lower costs for consumers.
Nationally, the bill improves the nation’s infrastructure by investing in the following categories:
Transportation
- $110 billion for roads and bridges, which would help repair 481 Colorado bridges and over 3,600 miles of Colorado highway in poor condition
- $25 billion for airport improvements
- $39 billion to modernize public transit
- $66 billion for passenger and freight rail investments, including $16 billion specifically for Amtrak
Climate Change Mitigation and Clean Energy
- $73 billion for transmission lines, grid reliability, carbon capture and direct air capture, clean hydrogen, energy efficiency, and other energy innovation priorities
- $43 billion for wildfire and drought resiliency, weatherization, flood mitigation, and cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. This includes $8.3 billion for Western water infrastructure, including conservation and efficiency, and repairing our vital and aging infrastructure.
- $7.5 billion for the first-ever federal investment in a national charging network for electric vehicles and up to $5 billion for zero-emission buses
Drinking Water and Pollution Remediation
- $21 billion to address pollution cleanup, including Superfund sites and abandoned coal mines and oil and gas wells. It also authorizes a new program to clean up abandoned hardrock mines
- $55 billion for drinking water infrastructure updates and lead pipe removal, including $3.5 billion for Tribal access to clean water
The bipartisan bill is fiscally responsible and does not raise taxes on working families. An independent analysis from Moody’s shows it’s fully paid for and will reduce the deficit over the long term. No one making less than $400,000 per year will see their taxes go up a single cent.
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