August 18, 2021

In Springfield, Duckworth, Durbin and Ossoff Highlight Wins from Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

 

[SPRINGFIELD, IL] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) yesterday highlighted the impact the Senate-passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) would have in Illinois and across the country by creating jobs, expanding access to clean drinking water and wastewater systems, improving our roads and bridges, improving broadband coverage for students and working families and more. The Senators were also joined by Springfield-area infrastructure leaders, including Illinois Secretary of Transportation Omer Osman, Illinois State Senator Doris Turner (IL-SD-48) and Laborers’ International Union of North America Vice President John Penn. Photos from yesterday’s press conference are available here.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done in the Senate to move this Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal closer to reality, because if it becomes law it would mean at least $18 billion in federal funding for our state, plus the opportunity to compete for billions more, which we know will help improve the lives of Illinoisans for decades to come,” Duckworth said. “Our country is long overdue for transformative, bold infrastructure investments, and while there is more work to be done, I’m glad that this package will boost our economy and help working families across our state. I look forward to seeing it signed into law soon.”

“I’m proud to join my Senate colleagues Senator Tammy Duckworth and Senator Jon Ossoff to discuss the passage of the largest infrastructure investment in nearly a century,” Durbin said. “We’ve been talking about the need for this kind of investment in our crumbling infrastructure for years, but we’re no longer just talking about it.  We have a President who is committed to getting things done for the American people. This bill will address our massive infrastructure needs and improve the lives of everyday Americans by creating a generation of good-paying jobs, increasing economic growth, and positioning the United States to win the 21st century.”

“This bipartisan infrastructure legislation, which means historic investments in transit and transportation, in clean drinking water, in broadband internet access, and in good-paying jobs to rebuild our country, could not have happened without the leadership of Illinois’ two United States Senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth,” Ossoff said. “I saw firsthand when these negotiations were at their most tense and highest stakes, how Tammy Duckworth fought specifically for the provisions of this legislation that will mean millions of Americans have access to reliable, clean, healthy drinking water, and how Senator Durbin, in his senior leadership post in the United States Senate, held this deal together, something that our country has needed for decades.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act fully authorizes Duckworth’s bipartisan Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which would help rebuild our nation’s crumbling and dangerous water infrastructure, and includes a modified version of her All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act to help make transit stations more accessible.

Under IIJA, Illinois could expect to receive $1.7 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure across the state and help ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities. Illinois could also expect $9.8 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $1.4 billion for bridge replacement and repairs and will be eligible for billions more in competitive grant programs. The state could anticipate $4 billion over five years to improve public transportation options across the state and approximately $616 million over five years for infrastructure development at Illinois airports. A minimum allocation of $100 million could go to the state to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the at least 228,000 Illinoisans who currently lack it. Nearly 3,000,000 Illinoisans, or 23 percent, will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access. Illinois could also anticipate $149 million over five years to support the expansion of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the state and is eligible for $2.5 billion in competitive EV charging grants.

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