Matsui Applauds Passage of the Moving Forward Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on the passage of the Moving Forward Act.

"As we cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences, we need to help get Americans back to work and act decisively to move our economy forward. An investment in our infrastructure is a clear promise of progress. New roads, bridges, and transit systems will also be met with funding for green infrastructure and innovation," said Congresswoman Matsui. "For America to remain a global center of innovation and growth, we must invest in the future. The Moving Forward Act delivers on our potential and prepares us to meet the challenges of the 21st century."

"The Moving Forward Act provides a roadmap that will prioritize resiliency, combat climate change, and create economic opportunities across the Sacramento region," Matsui continued. "In tandem with local partners, we made sure that the funding in this legislation aligns with the priorities of our community. I worked to include broadband support for low-income households and increased access to digital equipment and remote learning tools. I also worked to get two of my bills included, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) and the Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act. DERA helps replace old, dirty diesel engines with cleaner technologies. The TREES Act creates a first-of-its-kind program to provide grants to communities to support planting trees in residential areas, improving air quality and reducing energy costs."

H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, invests more than $1.5 trillion to rebuild American infrastructure—not only roads, bridges, and transit systems, but also schools, housing, broadband access, and more.

The Moving Forward Act:

• Rebuilds our highways, bridges, transit, rail, airports, ports and harbors by investing nearly $500 billion to improve safety, reduce gridlock and put the U.S. on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector.
• Invests in schools with a $130 billion investment in school infrastructure targeted at high-poverty schools that do not meet health and safety standards, while also creating 2 million jobs.
• Modernizes our energy infrastructure for a clean energy future by investing more than $70 billion to transform our electric grid, promote new renewable energy infrastructure and strengthen existing infrastructure, help develop an electric vehicle charging network and support energy efficiency and climate resilience.
• Invests in affordable housing by directing over $100 billion to reduce housing inequality, create jobs, stimulate the economy, improve living conditions and increase environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
• Expands affordable high-speed Internet to underserved communities with a $100 billion investment that promotes competition, connects children to remote learning, closes broadband adoption and digital skills gaps and improves affordability.
• Upgrades hospitals and health care infrastructure by investing $30 billion to increase capacity and strengthen care, help community health centers respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies, improve clinical laboratory infrastructure, support the Indian Health Service's infrastructure and increase capacity for community-based care.
• Ensures all communities have clean water by investing tens of billions to remove dangerous contaminants from our drinking water and invests in new, safe wastewater infrastructure.
• Delivers a 21st Century Postal Service by modernizing infrastructure and pursuing a zero-emissions postal fleet.
• Promotes investments in our communities by spurring private investment through the tax code, through a revitalized Build America Bonds program, expansions of Private Activity Bonds and significant enhancements to the New Markets Tax Credit and the Rehabilitation Tax Credit.

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