Rep. Cleaver Attends Signing Ceremony for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) attended the White House signing ceremony of H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was officially signed into law by President Biden. The transformative bipartisan infrastructure bill will bring approximately $9 billion to Missouri to upgrade critical infrastructure across the state, including roads, bridges, drinking water systems, rural broadband, ports, airports, electric grids, public transit, and more. Additionally, the bill marks the largest investment in America's critical infrastructure in nearly a century, will create an estimated 2 million jobs per year, and is estimated to increase economic growth over the next decade.

"After years of empty promises and fruitless ‘Infrastructure Weeks,' I was proud to stand with President Biden today to let the world know that the United States of America is ready to build back better than ever with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," said Congressman Cleaver. "While this is only the first step in implementing President Biden's economic agenda, it is a giant step for workers and families in my congressional district, who will see the economic and public benefits of thousands of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner drinking water, universal access to broadband and so much more. I'm thankful for the President's remarkable effort in securing the largest investment in our national infrastructure in nearly a century, and for showing the American people that when we work together, we can still accomplish great things that benefit communities in every part of our blessed nation."

According to estimates from the White House, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help Missouri:

• Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges by providing $6.5 billion over five years for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $484 million for bridge replacement and repairs;
• Deliver clean drinking water and remove lead pipes by providing $866 million over five years to replace every lead pipe in the state and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure;
• Improve public transit with sustainable transportation options by providing $674 million over five years to update and upgrade public transit;
• Upgrade our airports and ports by providing $246 million over five years for airport and port infrastructure;
• Connect every Missourian to reliable internet by investing a minimum of $100 million to expand broadband coverage for the 15% of Missouri households who do not have an internet subscription, including 5% of Missourians who live in areas with no broadband infrastructure at all;
• Transition to electric vehicles by providing $99 million over five years to build a state-wide network of electric vehicle chargers;
• Strengthen our infrastructure to handle extreme weather and cyber-attacks by providing $21 million over five years to prepare Missouri's infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather events, which have cost the state roughly $20 billion in damages since 2010. It will also provide $19 million for cybersecurity improvements to protect the state's infrastructure from increasingly common cyber-attacks.

The Fifth Congressional District of Missouri will also be eligible to compete for tens of millions more federal dollars through a wide variety of competitive grant programs that will help electrify school buses and other government vehicle fleets; build bridges that are economically significant; fund major projects that deliver significant economic benefits; create electric vehicle charging stations; enhance grid flexibility and resiliency; connect households to clean drinking water infrastructure; and more.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee; Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy; member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; member of the Committee on Homeland Security; and a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.