November 15th, 2021
Pres. Biden Signs Historic Infrastructure Bill into Law
 Dear Friend, Today, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act! It is a transformational, bipartisan piece of legislation that will rebuild and improve our crumbling roads, bridges, public transit and airports and provide working people and Arizona families with access to critical infrastructure like broadband and clean drinking water. This new law means improvements are coming to neighborhoods across Arizona. I proudly joined all Arizona Democrats to pass this landmark legislation. Investing in transportation and infrastructure means investing in our communities and our workers. It will generate thousands of good-paying union jobs, create a more climate-resilient infrastructure and spur economic growth. I believe infrastructure plays an important role in addressing our climate crisis and this bill, coupled with the Build Back Better Act, will move us in the right direction. This legislation is a historic investment for millions of Arizonans. Specifically, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will transform Arizona by making: Historic Investments in Roads and Highways: $110 billion in new funds for repairing and building roads, bridges, and major projects. Arizona is expected to receive $5 billion for federal highways and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over five years. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the single largest bill dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. The Largest Ever Federal Investment in Public Transportation: Arizona would expect to receive $884 million over five years under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve public transportation options across the state. Investments in Clean Energy Infrastructure and Climate Resilience: While making the largest investment in clean energy transmission and electric vehicle infrastructure in history, Arizona would expect to receive $76 million over five years to support the expansion of an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network in the state. Arizona can also apply for the $2.5 billion in grant funding dedicated to EV charging in the bill. Investments to Ensure Every American Has Access to High-Speed Internet: $65 billion to help provide broadband deployment and ensure every American has access to reliable, high-speed internet. Arizona will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the at least 353,000 Arizonans who currently lack it. And, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,1,756,000 or 24% of people in Arizona will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access. Necessary Investments that will prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, and extreme weather conditions: Arizona will expect to receive $38 million over five years to protect against wildfires and nearly $17 million to protect against cyberattacks. Arizonans will also benefit from the bill’s historic $3.5 billion national investment in weatherization, which will reduce energy costs for families. Necessary Investments in Waterways, Airports, and Ports: $17 billion in port infrastructure, including our ports of entry in Southern Arizona. $147 million for the San Luis Port of Entry, $216 million for the new Douglas Port of Entry, and $184 million for rehabilitation at the current Douglas Port of Entry. It also means investments in electrification and carbon-reduction technologies, and an additional $25 billion of investments in airports. Airports in Arizona would receive approximately $348 million for infrastructure development over five years. The Largest Ever Investment in Clean Drinking Water and Wastewater: $55 billion for clean drinking water, including dedicated funding to replace lead service lines and cleaning up the toxic legacy of chemicals that have contaminated drinking water. Arizona will expect to receive $619 million over five years to improve water infrastructure across the state and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities. Investments in Tribal water, broadband and transportation infrastructure: The plan allocates $2.5 billion to fully fund enacted Indian Water Rights Settlements. Included are settlements for the Gila River Indian Community, the Tohono O’odham Nation and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Also, $3.5 billion would be set aside for the IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction Program, which will fully fund the infrastructure backlog for all IHS operated water and wastewater facilities in tribal communities. It would improve sanitation for approximately 15,000 Navajo homes and thousands of other homes in tribal communities across Arizona. I will continue fighting to make sure that we also pass the transformational Build Back Better Act to invest in childcare, pre-k, housing, health care, climate action, home care, paid leave, immigration reform, and more. For more information on my ongoing work in Congress, feel free to visit my website: grijalva.house.gov or reach out to my office at any time. Sincerely,  Member of Congress |
