NJ House Members All Vote Yes On $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

NEW JERSEY — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a funding package that supporters say will make “unprecedented investments” in roads, railways and bridges across the nation – including New Jersey.

The House passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by a vote of 228-206 on Friday, sending the Senate-approved legislation to the desk of President Joe Biden. If Biden signs it, as he’s expected to, the bill would also build out broadband internet, beef up flood control and support lead pipe replacement projects across the nation. Read More: Menendez, Booker Of NJ Vote For Massive US Infrastructure Bill

All of New Jersey’s Congress members – Democratic and Republican alike – voted in favor of the funding package, including: Donald Norcross, Jeff Van Drew, Andy Kim, Chris Smith, Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallone, Tom Malinowski, Albio Sires, Bill Pascrell Jr., Donald Payne Jr., Mikie Sherrill and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Some conservative critics have argued that the funding package is a misuse of taxpayer money at a time when every penny counts.

Smith and Van Drew, the Garden State’s two Republican House members, saw blowback from some internet pundits after their “yes” votes. Their critics included their Congressional peer, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who tweeted that Smith and Van Drew are part of a group of Republicans that “just voted to help Biden screw America.”

The bill also caused a standoff between Democratic progressives and centrists in New Jersey, who demanded a vote on it before Congress considered the other pillar of the Biden administration’s domestic agenda, the Build Back Better Act.

Rep. Gottheimer (District 5), who saw protests outside his Bergen County office and home over his part in the Democratic rift, cheered Friday’s vote in a joint statement with Rep. Pascrell (District 9).

“This is a huge win for New Jersey, for bipartisan governing, for common sense, and for our hardworking families,” Gottheimer said.

THE BILL: WHAT DOES IT DO?

A White House briefing released in July lists some of the reasons why the bill is needed.

Here’s what the money will pay for, including projects that will benefit New Jersey, according to Rep. Sherrill (District 11).

Passenger Rail Funding to Complete the Gateway Tunnel Project

• Provides $66 billion for passenger rail expansion and improvements, including $22 billion for Amtrak and $24 billion for Northeast Corridor Modernization Grants.
• That $46 billion for Amtrak and the Northeast Corridor can directly be used to finance the completion of the Gateway Project, including the Hudson River Tunnel.

Water Infrastructure

• Invests $55 billion to remove and replace water pipes/infrastructure to eliminate lead and PFAS contaminants in water supplies.

Electric Grid Modernization and Resiliency

• Invests $65 billion to build thousands of miles of new power lines and expand renewable energy electricity transmission and storage.
• Provides $50 billion to make the electric grid (alongside water and transit infrastructure) more resilient to droughts, floods, and cyber attacks.

Expanding Access to High-Speed Broadband

• Provides $65 billion to expand high-speed, affordable broadband to millions of families nationwide.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

• Invests $7.5 billion to build a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers and spends an additional $7.5 billion to electrify school buses and ferries.

Public Transportation

• Provides $39 billion to public transit agencies (such as NJ Transit) to expand and modernize rail and bus lines.

Road, Bridge, and Highway Modernization

• Provides $110 billion for the repair, replacement, and rehabilitation of road, bridge, and highway infrastructure.

Other Projects

• $21 billion for hazardous site cleanup, including for Superfund and brownfield sites and abandoned mines.
• $11 billion for transportation safety to help states and localities reduce crashes and fatalities and to improve highway, truck, pipeline, and hazardous materials safety.
• $25 billion for airport infrastructure
• $17 billion for ports and waterways infrastructure

IMPROVING ROADS, RAILWAYS, BRIDGES

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy pointed out that the bill contains billions of dollars for the Gateway Program, which he called “the largest critical infrastructure project in the United States.”

• See related article: Gateway Tunnel Back On Track Under Biden, NJ Governor Says
• See related article: Buttigieg Pushes For Gateway Tunnel After Newark-To-NYC Trip

But building a new train tunnel across the Hudson River is just the tip of the iceberg, other New Jersey lawmakers say.

According to Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (District 10), the bill contains more than $8 billion in guaranteed funding to repair and repave New Jersey highways for the next five years. It will also provide more than $14 billion to improve transit throughout “urbanized areas of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.”

Payne, who serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said the bill is a major milestone for the U.S.

According to the congressman:

“The bill is the largest federal investment in public transit ever and the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. It includes the most money for bridge repair in almost 70 years.”

Rep. Donald Norcross (District 1), pointed out that the infrastructure bill would help South Jersey families, as well as those living up north.

Norcross said the American Society of Civil Engineers gave New Jersey infrastructure a grade of “D+” which is unacceptable in a state where 502 bridges and nearly 4,000 miles of highway are in poor condition.

These rocky roads will end up costing the average New Jersey driver more than $700 in vehicle repairs, Norcross said.

Rep. Tom Malinowski (District 7) said that America’s tunnels, bridges, highways and airports were once “the envy of the world” and the “foundation of its economic success.” And Friday’s vote will help ensure they stay that way, he said.

“For years, we have been calling on our leaders in Washington to get serious about replacing that extraordinary turn of the 20th century infrastructure with even more extraordinary 21st century infrastructure,” Malinowski said. “Today, Congress answered that call.”

BROADBAND INTERNET

It isn’t just roads and railways that will benefit from the funding package, supporters say.

“This legislation also includes significant funding for the expansion of broadband internet, addressing a key issue that impacts underserved areas of New Jersey and will be a gamechanger for those residing in them,” Murphy said.

Charlie Oppler, president of the National Association of Realtors, commended House members for giving the green light to a “historic $65 billion investment in broadband.”

“This new funding will ensure all communities have affordable access to a world-class communications infrastructure and provide opportunities to rural, underserved and low-income areas,” said Oppler, a New Jersey resident.

He added that the group does have concerns over the use of “guarantee fees” charged by government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a funding source for the infrastructure bill.

According to the White House, the bill will be financed through a combination of redirecting unspent emergency relief funds, targeted corporate user fees, and strengthening tax enforcement when it comes to crypto currencies, in addition to the revenue generated from “higher economic growth as a result of the investments.”

WATER UPGRADES, FLOOD PREVENTION

Payne said the bill has $55 billion to improve the nation’s water infrastructure and remove lead-contaminated pipes in drinking water systems – “the largest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in American history.”

Sherrill said the legislation will help New Jersey overcome its struggle to replace aging water infrastructure and lead pipes.

“This bill will fund lead pipe remediation and removal of PFAS contaminants from water systems, ensuring we have safe drinking water but without doing so on the backs of New Jersey taxpayers,” the congresswoman said.

And according to Malinowski, the bill provides more than $50 billion for flood control and resiliency projects that communities from “Cranford to Millburn to Hillsborough to Lambertville” desperately need.

“New Jersey is projected to receive $1 billion for water infrastructure upgrades over five years from the federal infrastructure package passed by Congress on Friday,” said Chris Sturm of the nonprofit advocacy group New Jersey Future.

“At a time when New Jersey’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems must address threats to public health and safety, this funding cannot come soon enough,” Sturm added.

• See related article: New Jersey Is Replacing Its Lead Water Pipes – All Of Them

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