Davids Celebrates Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill with Local Leaders

Today, Representative Sharice Davids, the Vice Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, joined Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz and dozens of local leaders to celebrate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is expected to bring $3.8 billion to Kansas for infrastructure needs from roads and bridges to high-speed internet and public transit.

The Davids-backed bipartisan infrastructure bill passed into law last week marks the largest investment in America's physical infrastructure in generations, creating an estimated 2 million jobs a year for the next decade. The bill is paid for through a combination of new revenues and savings and has been called the most fiscally responsible infrastructure bill in at least a decade by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Among its provisions for Kansas include:

• $2.6 billion for highways
• $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs
• $272 million to improve public transportation options
• a minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage
• access to $3.5 billion flood mitigation assistance program
• $454 million to improve water infrastructure and ensure clean drinking water across the state
• $109 million for airports

Davids speaks on the passage of the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill

"I've been working towards this for a while, and I'm proud to say that we passed historic, bipartisan infrastructure legislation that's going to create good-paying jobs, make strides against climate change, and set the foundation for long-term growth here in the Kansas Third," said Davids. "I'm not stopping there—I'm going to keep pushing to bring new investments to projects across our region, like US 69 and the KCATA electric bus expansion, just like I worked to bring this bill across the finish line."

"By working with Kansans, we will make our roads safer, drive down transportation costs for people and goods and generate economic growth all across Kansas," said Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. "I want to thank Rep. Davids for supporting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which combined with our IKE program, will allow us to deliver the game-changing results Kansans deserve."

"This is absolutely critical to the future of Overland Park, the future of Johnson County, and the future of Kansas. This is an investment in our future, and I really want to applaud all of the elected officals that have shown vision, visionary leadership in planning for what we want this community to look like tomorrow," said Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Public Policy Kevin Walker. "If we don't make this investment today, we will not be prepared to capitalize on the future, and that's why we are proud to stand here with everybody and say thank you for getting these projects done."

"I hope you realize how big a deal this is that this passed. Thanks to Representative Sharice Davids, this legislation will create millions of jobs updating our infrastructure and put us on a path for strong economic growth. This bill will put laborers back to work across the state - all laborers, all unions, all members," said Unified Government District 5 Commissioner and LiUNA Local 1290 Public Affairs Director Mike Kane. "For a union person, to have this many jobs created across the state of Kansas and Missouri, you cannot believe how that makes someone like me feel. The kids in all the communities that don't want to go to college, they have a place to go now."

Today's press conference was attended by members of the local labor community, business leaders, climate advocates, elected officials, and more—all applauding Davids' work to pass this much-needed infrastructure legislation and joining the group of more than a dozen Kansas City-area leaders who backed the bill prior to its passage. District 5 Commissioner and LiUNA Local 1290 Public Affairs Director Mike Kane and Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Public Policy Kevin Walker joined Davids and Secretary Lorenz to speak. Additionally, today's event follows the first installment of Davids' "State of our Systems" report series on the most pressing infrastructure needs in the Third District, which examined bridges. The report noted that 6 of the top 10 most-travelled structurally deficient bridges in Kansas are in the Third District and more than 730 local bridges need repairs.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by the House last Friday with 228 votes, including 13 Republican votes. It was passed by the Senate with 69 votes in August. For more information on the expected impact on Kansas, see fact sheet here, Davids' op-ed in the Kansas City Star here, and statements of support from Kansas City-area leaders here.