Leahy Holds First Appropriations Committee Hearing On Infrastructure Climate Change, and Investing In America’s Future
…Wielding the gavel of the Senate Appropriations Committee for the first time, Chairman Leahy holds hearing on the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan…
WASHINGTON (Tuesday, April 20, 2021) – Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday convened the first full committee hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The hearing focused on The American Jobs Plan, the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, and how to prepare for and mitigate the climate crisis. The hearing was the first of several thematic hearings Leahy will hold with the full committee.
Leahy said: “The American Jobs Plan is a sweeping proposal that will inject sorely needed resources into our roads, bridges, and transit systems, expand broadband access, make our infrastructure more resilient to the challenges of climate change, and create jobs here at home. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just put a patch on the problem of our lagging and crumbling infrastructure – but to make the aggressive and substantial investments that are demanded by the moment. We also have to invest in our people and in research and development. We need to use our resources, ingenuity and intellect to build back – better.”
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, one-in-five children lack the high-speed internet they need at home to keep up with their peers, roads in poor condition force American motorists to spend $130 billion a year on repairs and operating costs, and breaks and leaks in the nation’s water infrastructure lose 6 billion gallons of water a day. Making matters worse, in 2017 the United States only spent 2.3 percent of its GDP on infrastructure, and the CBO estimate of transportation and water infrastructure spending as a share of GDP represents the lowest level in more than 60 years.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Administrator of the EPA Michael Regan, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge all testified before the Committee.
A video link to the hearing is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/the-american-jobs-plan-infrastructure-climate-change-and-investing-in-our-nations-future
Chairman Leahy’s full statement is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/opening-statement-of-chairman-leahy-for-hearing-on-the-american-jobs-plan-infrastructure-climate-change-and-investing-in-our-nations-future
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s statement is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/secretary-buttigieg-testimony-
Administrator of the EPA Michael Regan’s statement is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/administrator-regan-testimony_-ajp
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s statement is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/secretary-raimondo-testimony
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge’s statement is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/secretary-fudge-testimony
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