Rep. Cleaver Votes For Transformational, Sustainable House Infrastructure Legislation

(Washington, D.C.) – Last night, United States Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which passed by a vote of 233-188. The bill would invest more than $1.5 trillion in modern, sustainable infrastructure while creating millions of good-paying jobs, combatting the climate crisis, and addressing disparities in urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the country

"For decades now, Missourians have watched as Congress has neglected our decrepit national infrastructure and allowed it to fall deeper and deeper into inefficiency and disrepair," said Congressman Cleaver. "Now, as tens of millions of Americans are seeking employment, Congress has an opportunity to invest in sustainable, 21st century infrastructure that will create millions of good-paying jobs, support our nation's recovery from the coronavirus crisis, and reinforce our efforts to combat climate change. This isn't just good policy, it's responsible governing for American workers and future generations."

The Moving Forward Act would:

• Provide a nearly $500 billion investment to rebuild and reimagine the nation's transportation infrastructure by fixing our crumbling roads and bridges, improving safety, reducing gridlock, and putting the U.S. on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector by cutting carbon pollution; investing in public transit and the national rail network; building out fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles; and deploying technology and innovative materials.
• Invest in schools with the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act, which funds $130 billion in school infrastructure targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that endanger the health and safety of students and educators. This investment will help students safely get back to school and create more than 2 million jobs to help workers get back to work.
• Deliver affordable high-speed broadband Internet access to all parts of the country by investing $100 billion to promote competition for broadband internet infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities, prioritizing those with persistent poverty. Gets children connected to remote learning, closes broadband adoption and digital skills gaps and enhances payment support for low-income households and the recently unemployed.
• Invest over $100 billion into our nation's affordable housing infrastructure to create or preserve 1.8 million affordable homes. These investments will help reduce housing inequality, create jobs and stimulate the broader economy, increase community and household resiliency in the face of natural disasters, improve hazardous living conditions, and increase the environmental sustainability of our housing stock.
• Address structural challenges and upgrade child care facilities by leveraging a 5-year, $10 billion federal investment to generate additional state and private investments in making sure that child care settings are safe, appropriate, and able to comply with current and future public health directives.
• Protect access to safe drinking water by investing over $25 billion in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and other programs to ensure all communities have clean drinking water and to help remove dangerous contaminants like PFAS from local water systems.
• Modernize our energy infrastructurefor a clean energy future by investing more than $70 billion to transform our electric grid to accommodate more renewable energy, expand renewable energy, strengthen existing infrastructure, help develop an electric vehicle charging network, and support energy efficiency, weatherization, and Smart Communities infrastructure.
• Modernize the nation's health care infrastructure by investing $30 billion to upgrade hospitals 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.
• Modernize and strengthen the United States Postal Service by investing $25 billion to modernize postal infrastructure and operations, including a zero emissions postal vehicle fleet, processing equipment and other goods.
• Promote new renewable energy infrastructure by incentivizing the development of wind and solar on public lands and building a workforce for offshore wind.
• Promote 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.

"The American people are clamoring for an innovative, bold, and long-term approach as Congress looks toward the future," Congressman Cleaver continued. "On behalf of my constituents in the Fifth District of Missouri, I am proud to support the Moving Forward Act, which would send over $800 million to be invested in our great state and provide the nation with a sustainable path forward in the coming decades. I implore my colleagues in the Senate to listen to the people, take up this legislation, and send it to the President's desk."

A fact sheet on the Moving Forward Act is available here.

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. For more information, please contact Matt Helfant at 202-590-0175 or Matthew.Helfant@mail.house.gov A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.