In the News
Kansas City leaders attended the White House as President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law Monday.
Across the nation, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will repair roads and bridges, improve transportation option, build a network of electric vehicle charging stations, provide access to high speed internet, deliver clean drinking water, improve airports and more.
The infrastructure bill was passed on Nov. 5.
KMBC reports on Rep. Sharice Davids' visit to the Overland Park Police Department to see how the new grant she voted for is helping add mental health workers to the force.
STILWELL, Kan. (AP) — Traffic whizzing behind her, Rep. Sharice Davids gathered reporters at a transportation facility along U.S. 69 in eastern Kansas this week to celebrate the surge of federal money headed in her state's direction.
The next time you are outside, look up.
You might see houses, buildings, a few trees. Higher you may see some clouds, a commercial airplane, a military airplane. Maybe there's a helicopter.
In other words, not much. That's changing.
Kansas and Missouri could get $14 billion from the new infrastructure bill passed by Congress. Congresswoman Sharice Davids says it could affect our area for a generation.
The plan has money for roads, bridges, even water quality improvements. Davids, the democrat from the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro is the vice chair of the House Transportation Committee. She's worked on the infrastructure project all year.
"I just think we're going to see inter-generational change in our infrastructure," Davids said.
The House passed the measure 228-206 late Friday, and President Joe Biden says Americans will begin to see the effects of this bill in just two to three months, but it has a long-term payout. Democrats say this bill's impact will be seen for generations, but how will this affect Kansans?
In addition to better roads and bridges, Representative Sharice Davids says Kansans will see expansion and improvements to broadband in rural and urban areas. Flood mitigation, security against cyber-attacks, and water sanitization plants are all plans stated in the infrastructure bill.
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd, said in a statement today that the infrastructure bill that passed the House will bring $3.8 billion to Kansas to create jobs, tackle climate change and boost economic recovery.
"For months, I have been working hard to deliver an infrastructure bill that creates jobs, tackles climate change and boosts our economic recovery here in the Kansas Third District. Today, I voted to send a bipartisan bill to the President's desk that will bring $3.8 billion to Kansas to meet those priorities—without raising taxes on the middle class.
A bill sponsored by Representative Sharice Davids to advance new aviation technology in the Sunflower State has passed the House of Representatives and will now head to the Senate.
The New Roots for Refugees program was awarded over $500,000 in grant funding Friday.
The program helps refugee families learn to grow produce and maintain small businesses.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is providing the funding, which will support farm training and market support.
The New Roots for Refugees program is led by the Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (CCNEK) and Cultivate KC.
While Cleaver advocated for affordable housing, Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids promoted increased access to healthcare. One of the provisions she pushed for — allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, was dropped for lack of support in the Senate.
In a call with reporters on Wednesday, Davids said she often heard "heartbreaking" stories about people who could not afford their medication. Allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, she said, would bring down costs and is popular in her district.